Yours
by Devil of My Family
Summary: Two teenagers in love... Nothing new. Two boys in love? Weird, but not shocking. A rich boy in love with his slave? Now that might just change the world. AU, Klaine
1. Chapter 1

**I KNOW, I KNOW! Two stories at once, what am I doing, I am soooo busy and aarrgghh but on week 20 I have 6,25 hours of work (my paycheck is going to love that...) so I'll have time! I will, I promise!**

**Honestly, this idea just HIT me... Just like Something Borrowed. And if I don't put it online it I won't make myself write it and then I get bored. This is what happens whenever I try to start a story that is completely my own. **

**Anyways, I will not neglect either of my stories. It's my decisions to write them at the same time and I will have to live with it. **

**Hope you like it.**

**Warnings: Slavery, blood, language (will add more)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

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><p><strong>Name<br>**

"_I'll be alright, Daddy." _

_Burt smiled but it didn't quite meet his eyes. He gathered his son into a bone-cracking hug. "I know you will. You're the strongest little guy that I know." _

"_Really?" Kurt asked. _

"_Really. And no matter what happens, I want you to stay strong and never change who you are. Not for anyone, got it?" _

"_I got it, Daddy." _

"_It's time, Mr. Hummel." _

_The tears in Burt's eyes fell on his cheeks as two men in black suits took his ten-year old son's hand and started to lead him away from the small house. They had known this day was coming but it had still caught them off-guard. _

"_I'll see you soon, Kurt," Burt choked through his tears. Kurt nodded, his cheeks wet, too, but he knew his Daddy would never lie to him. "I love you." _

"_I love you, too, Daddy."_

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><p>Blaine swallowed air as he watched the big, black car coming through the gates of the Anderson estate. His father was standing next to him like a statue, holding his head high and looking superior in every way. Blaine felt everything but. He had butterflies in his stomach, he was fidgeting and shifting his weight from foot to foot. He had been protesting to this ever since his parents had told him about their plan but as always, his words had gone unheard. His sister couldn't understand it. In fact, she was jealous. At this very moment she was having a screaming match with their mother, telling her that she wasn't too young and she was plenty responsible and that she had already picked out a pretty, pink collar.<p>

But this wasn't a puppy Blaine was getting...

The car stopped right in front of them and a tall woman with short hair, dressed in a red tracksuit came out. Blaine had seen her before, once, when he had been 10. She had scared the breath out of him and did so even now, six years later. Even his father shifted just a bit under the intense stare of this woman.

"Ms. Sylvester."

"Mr. Anderson."

"Rare of your to deliver yourself."

"Well, Mr. Anderson, your order was a little different from the ordinary. I take pride in him, he's been trained well."

Just then the back door of the car opened. Blaine's breath got stuck to his throat at the sight of the boy that came out.

Tall, taller than him, brown hair and almost white, porcelain smooth skin. His lips were pink. But what really made Blaine's heart race was the look in his eyes. Even when they were fixed on the ground, his head bowed a little in respect, he could see the fire in those green-blue-grey...? eyes. The passion, the life... He was not going to be defeated, Blaine could see that he had decided that. Blaine barely registered the curly haired man holding a hand on this boy's shoulder as he could not stop staring at him.

"...in good health, physically way stronger than what you'd expect and, as your requested, a homosexual," Ms. Sylvester announced.

"Is that why his previous owner returned him?" Blaine's father asked.

"Yes. Nearly two years ago. I took him in and made him part of my elite group."

Blaine saw the boy's head bow just a little lower, as if he was ashamed of this.

"Alright, sounds like we made the right choice. Give him a name, Blaine, so I can give him his directions."

Blaine blinked. "A name? But... I'm sure he already has one."

The boy looked up for a brief second, eyes wide, before remembering his status and looking down again.

"Naming him seals your ownership. I'm sure he doesn't even remember the name he was given when he was born."

Blaine looked at the boy that his parents had bought for him. The boy that was supposedly his now. But for some reason Blaine didn't think the boy saw it quite like that. Sure, someone else told him when he was allowed to eat and take a shower but he was not owned. He wasn't some pet. And Blaine decided that if he really had to give him a name for some official papers, at least it could be nicer than a name given to a cat.

"Christopher," he finally said and Ms. Sylvester wrote that on a piece of paper. "Chris for short."

"See, that wasn't so hard now was it? Okay, so, Christopher. You are to be Blaine's personal slave. My son is going through a... phase... so your job description doesn't only include bringing him breakfast to bed if he so wants but to also tend to his other possible needs..."

"Wait a minute!" the man behind 'Chris' interrupted. "Doesn't a slave have to be 18 for that?"

"Not if the owner is a minor to, too. Now shut your face, William, or I will sell the rest of your little favorites to families who want their toilets to be licked clean. Alright, Mr. Anderson, if you'll just sign here..."

Blaine saw how William leaned to whisper something into 'Chris's' ear. The boy nodded and managed a small, sad smile. William smiled back and with one last squeeze, let go of the boy's shoulder. Blaine's dad pushed him forward and told him to take his new slave to his room to change into a proper outfit while he discussed further details with Ms. Sylvester.

"Please, treat him nice," William mumbled under his breath when Blaine came closer. He was crossing a major line by doing this and 'Chris' looked alarmed. That didn't stop William from adding hastily: "He's been through enough."

The young slave looked positively terrified now, clearly sure that Blaine was going to turn around and tell his father to have his - mentor? Teacher?- beheaded. The disbelieving look on his face was endearing when Blaine just smiled softly and took his hand, trying to be as gentle as he could. "Don't worry," he simply said and William relaxed visibly. Blaine started to lead the boy into the house but didn't miss the almost silent 'thank you'.

"Your uh... room is right next to mine," Blaine said once they were inside the house. "It's kind of small but nice enough. It used to be my playroom when I was a kid so the rooms are conjoined." The only answer he got was a slight nod. "I don't know what kind of clothes you're into so the closet is empty safe for your work clothes. I'll take you shopping some time this week so you'll have something more comfortable to wear during your fre... What?"

They had reached his room and Blaine had just put his hand on the handle when he noticed the look on 'Chris's' face. It was downright shocked, like he had never even heard the words 'shopping' or 'free time.' Blaine felt a lump burning in his throat. This boy looked like someone who most definitely disliked being told what to wear and even Blaine could see that the peach-colored t-shirt and light brown, straight pants were the wrong colors on him. Fighting against the tears of sympathy he just knew 'Chris' wouldn't appreciate, he opened the door. Once they were in he closed it quickly, letting the other boy take in his surroundings before asking what he had wanted to ask the first second he saw him: "What's your real name?"

If the boy had looked shocked before, it was nothing compared to this. "W... What?" His voice was higher than what Blaine had expected but it suited him. It was unique and beautiful... Just like him.

"Look, I don't care what my father says. I think it's only fair that you get to be called by your real name. You know, the one your mom gave you."

The boy's eyes narrowed, the shock gone from his face. "Why?"

"What do you mean, why?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure you don't call your cook with the name his mom gave him. Am I right?"

Blaine was taken aback by this. It didn't even occur to him that a slave was most definitely not allowed to talk to him that way. "Well... No, I guess... I mean. Ted has been here since forever, he was hired before I was even born. So was the maid, Laura, and they are the only ones we have."

"They were bought, not hired," 'Chris' corrected. "And why should I be treated any differently than them? Because I'm your personal slave? You want to know what to call me when..."

He stopped in the middle of his sentence and turned away from Blaine again. He looked so tense that Blaine thought he would snap like a rubber band if anyone touched him.

"I'm not... I'm not going to have sex with you."

"Oh, please..."

"No, seriously!" Blaine said. "I just recently came out to my parents, alright? They freaked out. Having a gay son is so not part of their plan. So they've settled to think this is something that some guys just go through when they are teens and if they play along long enough, I'll just grow out of it. And yes, my dad figured it would speed things up if I had someone to... experiment with... but I would never, ever force you, or anyone, to do anything like that! And if it makes you feel better then I'll go ask Ted and Laura what their real names are first thing tomorrow morning."

There was a short silence. "If it makes _me _feel better?"

"Huh?"

"Did you just offer to do something that might make me feel better?"

"Yeah, I mean, what...?"

"You really are different, aren't you?" 'Chris' turned around to face Blaine again. His expression was softer now. "There aren't many like you." He sighed, the tension in his body slowly lifting. "My name is Kurt."

The sides of Blaine's mouth came up a notch. "As in Von Trapp?"

"...duh..."

"Yeah. Cobain wouldn't suit you."

Kurt... Man, Blaine liked that name... actually chuckled. "Guess it wouldn't."

There was a short silence between them again but it wasn't so uncomfortable this time. Blaine could hear the faint sound of his little sister still pleading, rather loudly, for a cute slave of her own. Blaine knew she just wanted a life-sized Barbie and someone to boss around. Someone she could put that pretty, pink collar of hers on.

Collar...

Blaine coughed, feeling a weight in his stomach. Kurt just looked up at him. He clearly knew more about this than Blaine but wasn't too eager to share the information. When the silence stretched on for a couple of more minutes, the slave sighed.

"I guess I should change then, huh?"

"Yeah..."

"You want me to call you Master Blaine or Master Anderson?"

"What are you talking about? Just Blaine is fine."

"I'm not sure your parents would appreciate that."

"Well, according to them, you're mine. And I am telling you to just call me Blaine, wherever we are."

"I'll be executed if I call you that casually in public."

"I won't let them."

Blaine had led them to Kurt's room while they had been talking. There was a queen-sized bed and a small table next to it. A huge armchair sat in the corner and there was a shelf full of books from Dr. Seuss to Dan Brown and Kurt was already eying longingly. The door of the closet was open to reveal four uniforms, two with black jackets and two with gray.

"They gray ones are for indoors and the black ones for when we're out," Blaine explained. "I'll show you the laundry room later."

Kurt nodded but Blaine saw that his eyes were fixed on the black piece of leather hanging innocently next to the uniforms. Suddenly nauseous, Blaine took a step forward and grabbed it, holding it tightly as if he thought he could kill it by strangling it and thus preventing what had to be done. "I'm so sorry for this..."

"Don't be," Kurt said. "Please, just... Don't be. I want to hate you just a little bit and it's really hard if you insist on being so nice. So let's get this over with. Put it on me. Not my first time."

Blaine took a deep breath. He had grown so used to the fact that every slave had one of these on that he barely noticed them anymore but after this he doubted he'd ever be able to forget about them again. He hated this, he felt as if he was caging a wild bird. Trying to be as gentle as possible he removed the brown collar that showed Kurt was a product of McKinley and replaced it with the one that had his own initials on it with silver letters.

"I'll leave you alone to change," Blaine said quietly. He was blinking furiously.

"I'm yours, master Blaine," Kurt replied. His tone had changed dramatically, as had his posture. Blaine started to argue but Kurt beat him to it. "You own me." _No, I don't..._ "There's nothing you're not allowed to see."

"Kurt, I... At least when we're alone, just be yourself. I feel so horrible about all this and I don't want... I really want you to be as happy as possible so don't hide who you are. Don't change yourself because of me. Okay?" Kurt didn't answer. "Okay, well, then... I'll just be... in my room."

Blaine all but ran out of the room and shut the door behind him, giving Kurt all the privacy he could. He put his hand on his face and let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

Kurt...

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><p>"<em>Congratulations, Kurt, sweetheart, you have just been bought!"<em>

_A 12 year old Kurt looked up to the kind of weird, ginger-haired woman, who was smiling at him, her big, almost cartoonishly big eyes shining. _

"_It's a really nice family, they have son who is your age." _

_Kurt smiled back at her. It was an honor to be chosen, especially at a young age. Maybe they wanted an apprentice for the cook or the gardener... Or maybe they just wanted their son to have someone to play with. _

_Oh, how could he have known?_

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><p><strong>Not what you expected? Good. :) <strong>

**I'm off to work, have a good Glee Tuesday everyone!  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Alrght, so the delay isn't completely my fault. This chapter has been ready for almost two weeks but for whatever reason, my computer wouldn't let me download the document. I think there was something wrong with my internet connection because there were other sites that wouldn't work normally either. **

**But now it's here and I hope you enjoy it :) **

**Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and alerts!  
><strong>

**Wiela: Yeah, supisuomalainen oon :) and a Klainer through and through! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

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><p><strong>Fashion<strong>

"_What name did they give you?" _

"_Tom." _

"_That's nice enough."_

"_I guess..." Not that... Dave... ever called him that._

"_You know, the Karofskys really are good people. The boy might use a little... foul language but his parents don't let him harass us too much. I'm sure you're going be to just like friends." _

_Kurt smiled a little at the cook. She was friendly, quite young and had already told Kurt her deepest, darkest secret: she sang while she baked. This had made Kurt laugh. _

"_Mary?" _

"_Yeah, sweetie?" _

"_You think they're ever going to let me see my dad?" _

_Mary turned to look at him. "Why wouldn't they? The law says minors are to see their parents every three months and on Christmas." _

_Kurt blinked. "It does?" _

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><p>"Alright, I'll admit it right now: I have no idea how to shop. So... Let's just walk around and you can pick whatever you want."<p>

This had to be a dream.

Kurt couldn't possibly be this lucky.

It was all way too good to be true.

And yet, not matter how many times he blinked or pinched himself, the words Marc and Jacobs didn't disappear. The young slave swallowed air as Blaine lead him in the store, whistling along with the song that played faintly in the background.

The sheer amount of color and material and... variety was enough to make Kurt's head spin. He hadn't been allowed to choose what to wear in six years and even before that his clothes had come from Target or Walmart. The uniform provided to him by the Andersons was already that fanciest piece of clothing he had ever worn.

A sudden pang of guilt hit his chest so hard he had to adjust his collar to be able to breathe normally.

"Here, try this," Kurt heard Blaine's voice and suddenly he had a hat on his head. "It looks good on you!" Blaine took a hold of Kurt's shoulders and pushed him to a mirror. The hat was red with a little, fake feather on it for a dramatic affect.

It did in fact look good on him.

"Excuse me?" The boys turned to see a woman in 10 inch heels and a black pantsuit. "Slaves are not allowed to wear the clothes".

Kurt took the hat off faster than Blaine could say 'Huh?' He looked down, giving the accessory back to his confused owner.

"But we're buying this for him anyway, what's the big deal?" Blaine asked. Kurt blushed all the way to his roots.

The saleswoman blinked. "It's our policy. Other customers might be offended or disturbed if they knew an item has been worn by a slave."

"That's ridiculous! How are we suppose to know what size fits him?"

"Well, I..."

"You know what, doesn't matter. We'll just buy three of each. Thanks."

With that, Blaine dragged Kurt to look at the jackets. Kurt's heart was beating so hard he was sure it would come out of his chest. He could still feel the woman's eyes on them and while there was no rule against an owner buying his slave clothes, Kurt knew that in a store like this slaves were usually only seen carrying the shopping bags.

"We could go somewhere else," Blaine suggested.

"It's the same everywhere," Kurt replied, speaking for the first time since they entered the store. "But maybe... Maybe we should go somewhere cheaper."

"What are you talking about?" Blaine asked.

"Master Blaine, this really is too much. I can't... It's..."

"Kurt, how long have you been with us?" Blaine suddenly asked.

"A... A week, Master Blaine."

"And how many times have I told you not to call me Master?"

"37," Kurt answered so fast it was clear he had been counting.

"37," Blaine repeated, nodding. "Now, I understand that you're afraid to call me without the title in a place as public as this. I'm not forcing you to. But the fact that I want you to should already tell you just how much I want you to feel comfortable around me, like an equal."

Equal.

"And yeah, by the way... Laura's name is Haley. And Ted's is Mark."

Kurt jaw dropped as Blaine turned his attention back to the jackets. To be honest, he had already known that, having befriended the two older slaves rather quickly while doing laundry and having lunch. He also knew that the two of them were planning on asking for a permission to get married.

But he was still stunned. Blaine had kept his promise.

His hand shaking just slightly, he reached for a silvery jacket with a belt. Blaine grinned when he held it up for him to see, checking the label for the prize. Then he just nodded and took it from Kurt, telling him to also the take the one size bigger, just in case.

Blaine really didn't know much about the rules that came with owning a slave. For the last week Kurt had tried to guide and educate him enough so that they wouldn't be caught in a embarrassing situation, like just now with the hat. It was almost adorable how clueless his owner really was but at the same time Kurt was afraid they would both end up in trouble sooner or later.

But maybe he could enjoy this... While it lasted. The jacket was so beautiful...

"What do you think of this?"

Kurt blinked and bit his lip so he wouldn't laugh out loud. While he had been wrapped in his own thoughts Blaine had managed to find a very obnoxious, very red cocktail dress. He had put the hanger around his neck and was now posing like a model from those magazines Ms. Sylvester was generous enough to order for her elite-group. Kurt had become quite skilled with sneaking the magazines to his friends that were not their supervisor's favorite.

"It looks good, Master Blaine," Kurt said, his voice shaking with a chuckle that he desperately tried to keep in. He would not laugh at his owner, he _could_ not, there were not a lot of things that were worse than that.

"..._met me, I was alright but things were kinda heavy, you brought me to life..._"

"Master Blaine?"

"_...every February, you'll be my Valentine, Valentine!" _

Blaine took Kurt's hand and they made their way to the jeans. Pretty much every single set of eyes were on them as Blaine kept singing together with the radio but for one time in his life, Kurt didn't care.

"_You make me... feel like I'm living a... teenage dream, the way you turn me on..."_

Kurt certainly felt like he was living a teenage dream while showing Blaine one pair of jeans after another. Well, at least every teenage slave's dream. With every single word that came out of Blaine's mouth, he felt himself warming up to him more and more. It was actually starting to scare him. He had been able to keep his walls up for so long and now his new, gentle, kind and charismatic owner was bringing them down, brick by brick, after only a week.

"Come on, sing with me!" Blaine laughed.

"Oh... Oh, no Master Blaine," Kurt refused quickly, his dream bubble bursting. "Your voice is very lovely," he added with a smile.

"I'm sure yours is, too. Come on, sing!"

"Master Blaine," Kurt whispered, leaning in. "I'm not allowed."

"What? You have got to be kidding me!"

"Not in public," Kurt said. "We uh... we did have a choir in McKinley. Or, a glee club, I think you'd call it."

"So you can sing?" Blaine said.

"Well... Uh... Yeah, I guess? I mean, not as well you by any means, Master Blaine," Kurt said hastily and loudly enough so that the middle aged couple walking by could hear him being polite.

"We'll see about that," Blaine replied with a wink. "What do you say we pay for these and go see what we can find for you in Banana Republic?"

It was two hours later that they were heading home, Kurt nibbling on a pretzel Blaine had bought for him. The backseat was filled with bags from every high-class store at the mall. There was also a small bag from Claire's, the contest of which was already worn by Blaine: a pair of pink sunglasses that had made Kurt let out a laugh. The flash of panic he had felt right after was drowned when Blaine smiled at him, laughing too, and tried to make him put on a matching pair.

"Did you have fun?" Blaine asked.

"I did," Kurt answered. "I can't thank you enough."

The short silence between them was comfortable.

"So you were part of a glee club?"

"Yeah. Countertenor."

"Seriously?" Blaine asked, turning his eyes away from the road for a brief second. "Wow."

"It's really not that impressive. We had so many good singers in that club. Rachel was our best one. She's annoying but she'll make a good wife and she'll have healthy children. And then there's Mercedes, oh Gosh... She's A-Mazing! She's one of those people who can make you tear up with her singing. She's just... She's... Mercedes," Kurt finished lamely.

The pang of guilt hit Kurt again. It caused a lump to form in his throat and his eyes to burn.

"You're upset." It wasn't a question.

"I miss them," Kurt admitted. "But it's okay!" he added quickly. "I mean, I..."

"I understand," Blaine cut Kurt off. "It's completely normal to miss your friends."

"But I shouldn't!" Kurt suddenly cried out. "They tell us to forget, they tell us we're going to a better place and this time... this time it's true! Blaine, you have no idea how amazing you are! None of my friends will end up with someone like you! They'll become cooks, maids, dog walkers... They won't be allowed to sing, shop... Hell, they won't be allowed to talk like this! Oh my God... Master Blaine, I am so, so sorry, this will not happen again, I promise. I'll shut up now."

Kurt buried his face in his hands, feeling the redness rise up his cheeks. He was so going back to McKinley... If he was allowed to go back to a place that good after his outburst.

"You called me Blaine."

Kurt's heart stopped. "What?"

"Didn't you notice? You called without the title."

"I... I'm sorr..."

"No, no, don't be. And don't shut up. I don't want you to shut up. Kurt, I told you when we first met, I want us to be friends. I know I can't be as good a friend as the people you've known for years but I'd like it if... if we could talk like normal friends," Blaine said. His hands were holding the steering wheel rather tightly.

"Why? I mean, you have friends. You told me about them," Kurt said.

"Kurt, you live in my house. We'll be together all the time. I know you said you want to hate me but maybe, under that hate, you can like me just a little?"

"I only said I wanna hate you a little bit," Kurt mumbled.

They stopped at a red light.

"What do you mean, _this time it's true_?"

_Oh no..._ "You're rare, I told you."

He wasn't allowed to refuse to answer if Blaine wanted to ask him more about it, but the older teen seemed to sense this was not a subject Kurt was comfortable talking about yet.

"Don't forget your friends."

Something warm fell into Kurt's stomach.

Later that day Kurt put on quite a fashion show by trying on all the clothes they had bought for him. Somehow he managed to find the colors that went together, that made his skin glow and his eyes shine. Blaine could only watch, mesmerized, as Kurt went through the shirts and the pants and the shoes with enthusiasm that could only be compared to a kid in a toy store.

And Kurt enjoyed being looked at. He enjoyed being looked at by Blaine.

Once in a lifetime, one in a million Blaine.

Kurt's heart fluttered.

"So, Mas... Blaine? What do you think?"

Blaine smiled and Kurt melted. He couldn't figure out what caused his heart to feel like it was dancing and his cheeks to heat up. He had never felt like this before...

* * *

><p>"<em>Hey lady. Wake up."<em>

_Kurt blinked against the light. "Master David? Is there something you need?" _

"_Yeah. My jacket ripped and I need you to fix it." _

_Kurt had seen the rip when Dave had come home from school. It had taken all his will-power not to mention it. _

_Why hadn't Dave said anything then? Why did he have to wake him up in the middle of the night?_

_Stifling a yawn, Kurt followed Dave upstairs. The jacket would be easy enough to fix and then he could have a few more hours of sleep. Maybe he could go back to the dream he had been enjoying. His mother had been making pancakes in a huge kitchen... _

"_After you're done, clean my room." _

_The jacket was shoved into his hands. Blinking, Kurt looked around and it was more than hard not to groan. _

"_Won't you be disturbed, Master David?" _

"_No, because you will be quiet. Wake me up and I'll tell dad you're not allowed to have breakfast for a week. Now get to work." _

_That night, Kurt became a master in silent crying. _

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><p><strong>AN: There is a plot. I swear there is :) It's coming. <strong>

**Something Borrowed will be updated today or tomorrow, too.  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, so, I had this chapter ready last night. I worked hours on it, it was 2 am when I was like YES now I can save and update. I hit the save button annnndddd... The whole system went crazy, it kept saying there was a mistake in the document and it couldn't be saved. Then it turned the WHOLE THING into some stupid... code language that I wasn't able to change back into normal.**

**There were over 4000 words in the original chapter. I damn near cried as I hit every button I thought might help. Nothing. So I started all over again and the ONLY thing I think is better in this one is that I may have given too much away in the original one. **

**Anyways, I hope you like it!**

**I'm gonna go reply to everyone who has reviewed now :) I'm so grateful to all of you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Voice<br>**

_Kurt knew he'd be punished for using all the mouthwash but he couldn't bring himself to care. _

_He rinsed his mouth again and again and again... _

_When he was finally all out of the green liquid, he spit and turned his gaze up so he could see himself in the mirror. A single tear was traveling down his cheek and to his lips. It was salty..._

_Kurt dropped on his knees next to the toilet and threw up everything he had eaten that day._

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><p>"Welcome home, Master Blaine, did you have a good day?"<p>

Blaine blinked as he took in Kurt's appearance. "Again?" he sighed when Kurt took his coat.

"She is rather persistent, Master Blaine."

"Go wash up, I'll talk to her."

"Thank you," Kurt breathed out and rushed up the stairs, passing a girl in a pink princess dress. She had her hands on her hips and she looked utterly annoyed.

"I was not done playing!" she announced.

"Maria, how many times have I told you, he is not here for you to play dress up with!" Blaine said. Poor Kurt had ran to meet him in the doorway with his face covered with all the colors of the rainbow. Maria, being seven, had an excessive collection of face paint and fake make up and unfortunately her school day always ended a few hours before Blaine's. This gave her plenty of time to test color combinations on Kurt's face.

"He doesn't mind," Maria claimed.

"Yes, actually, he does. He's just not allowed to say it," Blaine replied. "But I am so leave him alone, okay? If you want to spend time with him then ask him to help you with your homework. You need a tutor anyway." The third one that year had just quit a few weeks back.

"He wouldn't know how to help, he's a slave! He's practically an animal!" Blaine shot her a look that was probably a little harsh or a girl under ten. "That's what Daddy says..." Maria had an annoying habit to repeat what other people had said and using the fact she wasn't the first as justification. This had become a bit of a problem during Blaine's finals last spring as he had used language not proper for anyone, least of all first graders.

"I can assure you, Maria, that Kurt is most definitely a human. And if I hear you talking like that about him again, I'll make sure you get so grounded your children will suffer from it. So keep that in mind. Now go finish your homework, dinner will probably be ready soon."

Blaine was halfway to his room when Maria asked: "Did you change his name?"

"Huh?"

"You called him Kurt. I thought his name was Chris," Maria said.

_Oh shit..._

"You heard wrong," was all Blaine said. He heard Maria yelling "no, I didn't!" in that tone that kids use when they try to sound older than what they are but didn't stop to argue, fearing he'd talk himself into a dead end.

Once in his room, Blaine locked the door, making sure the little tornado wouldn't be able to come in unannounced. Bored and unsupervised, as their parents were trying to find a new tutor for her, she was now more dangerous than ever.

"I'll never have children," Blaine promised to himself as he took off his Dalton jacket and loosened his tie. He sank to the chair in front of his desk and fished the history book out his bag, mentally preparing to read half of the it that very evening. The shower was running in the next room so he assumed Maria's make-over session had also included what she insisted was a pedicure. Blaine had unfortunately experienced this once or twice and it was more like 'glitter and nail polish on anything but the toes'.

He had read the title of the first chapter when he heard something that caused him to stop.

_"...I think you'll understand_  
><em>When I say that something<em>  
><em>I wanna hold your hand..."<em>

Blaine looked up to the vent, his breath suddenly stuck in his throat. Kurt's voice was echoing slightly as it was coming through the little hole but it didn't make it any less stuffed with emotion.

_"...say to me, you'll let me be your man_  
><em>And please, say to me, you'll let me hold your hand<em>  
><em>Now let me hold your hand<em>  
><em>I wanna hold your hand..."<em>

It wasn't sung as a love song, Blaine was sure of that. The arrangement was original and Kurt's voice fit it perfectly.

_"...touch you, I feel happy inside_  
><em>It's such a feeling that my love,<em>  
><em>I can't hide<em>  
><em>I can't hide<em>  
><em>I can't hide...!"<em>

Shivers went up Blaine's spine.

_"Yeah, you got that something_  
><em>I think you'll understand<em>  
><em>When I feel that something<em>  
><em>I wanna hold your hand<em>

_I wanna hold your hand_  
><em>I wanna hold your hand<em>

_I wanna hold... your hand..."_

Blaine was left in a state of complete haze when Kurt stopped singing. The sudden silence seemed to ring around him and World War II had never felt less important to him.

The raven haired teenager had not pushed Kurt to sing after the incident at the mall, fearing he would only do it because he wasn't allowed to refuse. He was still, after nearly a month, working on making Kurt feel comfortable and safe in his new life, a process in which his sister wasn't helping at all.

"Master Blaine?"

The move Blaine made to prevent himself from falling straight on his face was nothing short of skills of a ninja. He had not heard Kurt open the door and only now that the slave was right next to him did he remember giving him a spare key. "Oh, hey Kurt. I uh... See you got everything off then," he said, trying to look like he had been reading the whole time. This would have been a lot more convincing if the page that was opened wasn't still the first.

"Yes, thank goodness they make that stuff easy to wash off. Anyway, so, I folded your laundry and washed your sheets while you were in school. Your mom wanted one of your suits to be dry-cleaned for Saturday so I'll pick that up tomorrow. Do you have any special requests for dessert that I could..."

"I heard you," Blaine blurted out. He saw this as a chance to make Kurt open up a little more and maybe forget about the title more often. When Kurt merely blinked, he continued: "You were singing, in the shower. I heard you through the vent. No, wait, I didn't mean it like that!" he said quickly when Kurt's eyes immediately turned to the corner of the ceiling and his hands flew to his mouth. "It was beautiful, Kurt, I've never... It was just... I have no words for what you did. All I can say that it was magical. Gosh, I can't believe someone like you is not allowed to show their talent!"

Kurt's cheeks were pink and he suddenly seemed to find the carpet very interesting.

The moment when the light bulb turned on in Blaine's head showed as the change of his expression.

If people in the glee club Kurt had told him about were all as good as him – hell, if they were even half as good as him – then they all belonged in the show business. And they would never be allowed. The closest they would get was as an assistant to someone with a fracture of their talent. They'd be forced to serve coffee to a celebrity that couldn't even act well enough to pretend to care about someone else but him- or herself.

"Were you um... Were you singing to someone?" Blaine finally asked.

"What do you mean?"

"It just sounded like you had someone very special on your mind when you sang. Am I right?" He almost, just almost, wanted it to sound like a demand.

Kurt's mouth opened a couple of times before he finally answered: "My dad."

"Oh..." A silence. "He – He's not..."

"What? No, he's alive. As far as I know," Kurt said.

"When did you last see him?"

"I should go to the kitchen, Ted might need help..."

"When, Kurt?" Blaine hated himself a little for the tone he used.

"...awekkbeforeIwasbroughtback..."

"I'm sorry?"

"Last time I saw my dad... was a week before the Karofskys brought me back to McKinley..."

"What?" The brunette jumped when his owner nearly yelled. "That was two years ago!"

"I know."

"Kurt, there are laws about this! Even I know that much! You're a minor, for crying out loud!" Blaine couldn't remember the last time he had been this furious.

"Sue Sylvester is above the law, Blaine. Everyone is scared of her. I didn't even know that I had the right to see my dad until I met the Karofsky house cook. She was the one who told me. When I went back I did ask Sylvester about it. I think her exact words to me were: 'You think living without your parents is hard, try having your uterus removed without a surgery, that's hard!' Never asked again."

"But this is crazy! If your parents are alive then you should be allowed to see them!"

The look on Kurt's face was unreadable. "I'm uh... I'm gonna go remind Ted to put the broccoli on a separate plate..."

He was out of the room before Blaine had a chance to say anything else.

Ted had been putting the broccoli on a separate plate for 15 years.

* * *

><p>"Kurt! Kurt, wak... Whoa, it's okay, it's just me!" Blaine whispered when Kurt bolted up in his bed, blinking like a deer in headlights.<p>

"Master Blaine? Is something the matter?" he asked. Blaine frowned at the quiver in his voice.

"Very much so. But that's gonna change. Hurry and put something on, we gotta go!"

Blaine gave Kurt ten minutes to change out of his pajamas. It was still dark as it wasn't even half past five and everyone was still in bed. Every step sounded like a gunshot in the huge house but somehow they managed to get out without anyone noticing.

"Won't you be late for school?" Kurt asked when they got in Blaine's car.

"Maybe a little. This is more important, though, so don't worry. Seatbelt," Blaine said, looking over his shoulder as he backed out of the driveway. He ignored Kurt's confused gaze.

It was 15 minutes later when he spoke up again: "So, you were trained and educated in McKinley. That means you lived in Lima, right?"

"Yes, but what...?"

"Do you remember the exact address?"

Realization came to Kurt's face as his eyes turned huge. "Master Blaine..."

"Do you, Kurt?"

"I... I do but... This is too much, I can't ask you to miss school, Master Blaine! You already... the clothes... the trouble..."

"You're not asking me to do anything, Kurt. I'm just following the law by doing this. You are a minor, like I already said. You have the right to see your parents. This just makes me a good citizen," Blaine said. He took it as a good sign when Kurt didn't argue further. What the young slave said next, though, almost made him drive off the road.

"My _dad's_ alive, Blaine. Mom's dead." Blaine's knuckles turned white as he held the steering wheel way tighter than what was necessary. "I'm sorry, I thought it was in the paperwork..."

"I didn't really... read..." Blaine admitted slowly. "I'm so sorry, gosh..."

"No, I am, I should have told you..." Kurt said. "She uh... She was the nanny in the family that owned her. My dad was their private mechanic. They were 22 when they asked for a permission to get married. They got it and they were also given their own little house. That's customary when the couple promises to produce children." Blaine nodded, knowing this. "Children are worth a lot. They can be trained to be a new slave for the family they were born into or they can be sold to a school. Unfortunately it turned out my mother's health was never really good enough to handle a pregnancy. Another one would have killed her even earlier. The family was nice enough and let us stay in the little house even though I'd be the only child. They didn't even force us to move out when Mom finally died. They had a little girl, just a little older than me, I think that made them a little softer."

Blaine fought back tears. He suddenly found the society they lived in so disgusting and wondered how people justified selling children to live apart from their parents and possible siblings.

"Sometimes I think it's good that Mom never saw them taking me away. But ultimately it means that Dad... He's been alone for so long..."

Without really thinking about it, Blaine took Kurt's hand into his own and squeezed it. They were silent until Kurt started telling Blaine where to turn about an hour and a half later. He was starting to fidget on his seat, looking like he would bolt out as soon as the car stopped.

And that he did.

The house they had parked in front of was what to Blaine looked like a summer cabin. It looked small and cozy, surrounded by others almost just like it. Looking around Blaine saw the big mansions and castle-like houses a bit further away, all a little closer together than what Blaine was used to. Maybe that was why the slave families lived separately from the owners. In Westerville houses like Kurt's were usually placed to the far corner of the estate as the grounds were huge.

Blaine gave Kurt a few minutes, not wanting to invade the long over due reunion, before his curiosity got the best of him. He got out of the car just as the sun made its first appearance. He walked to the door and pushed it open, peeking in to make sure he wasn't interrupting anything. He frowned when he saw Kurt sitting on a white couch, squeezing a piece of paper in his hand.

His eyes were blank.

"Kurt?"

"He's not here."

"What are you talking about?"

Kurt held up his hand and gave Blaine the what he now saw was a letter. After hesitating for a second, he folded it open and read:

_Dear Kurt, _

_In case you ever come back here… _

_The Fabrays are replacing me with someone younger. I had a heart attack a while back and they figured it's time for me to start doing something that requires a little less strength. Now I don't want you to worry, your old man is tougher than he looks. So wipe that look off your face. _

_I'm not allowed to contact you from the Selling Center and it all depends on the new family if I'm allowed to get in touch with you or not. I know what the law says and we were lucky for a few years but things have changed, as I'm sure you have noticed. _

_I love you, son, and I wish that wherever you are, you're happy. Man, I wish I could just know that. _

_Never give up, Kurt. Never change. Remember that. _

_-Your Dad_

"They sent him to the Selling Center," Kurt said when Blaine looked up from the letter. "They sent him there after he had just had a heart attack! How could they? I thought… They were decent!" His voice was getting louder with each word. "I'll never find him! There are so many… It's almost impossible to keep a track on an adult slave, no matter how long they have stayed in one family. If they are sent to the selling center… I'll never see him again, Blaine… I'll never…"

And Kurt started to cry. Not knowing what else to do, Blaine sat down next to him. For a second he thought about hugging the other boy but decided against it for he didn't know how Kurt handled being upset.

"Yes, you will," he said after a while. It didn't matter if Kurt heard him or not. "I promise."

* * *

><p><em>Kurt had learned to wake up when the door of his tiny room was opened. For a boy as big as Dave, he was really quiet and Kurt knew this was because he didn't want his parents to find out what he did, what he was addicted to by now. <em>

_Kurt had never thought he would long for the nights when he was only woken up to clean a room…_

"_Turn around."_

_He had no choice. _

* * *

><p><strong>DONE! My God... I'M NEVER WRITING ON OUR OLD COMPUTER AGAIN, I SWEAR!<strong>

**Alright, food, water, have to take the dog out... I have neglected everything to get this done! **

**Thanks for reading, see you sooooon!**

**(BTW, Pure Imagination is my new favorite song to use as a lullaby :) LOOOOOOVED it!)  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**I KNOOOWWW it takes me forever to update and it won't get any better. One of my best friends is coming to Finland to see me after a year apart and she'll be here for two weeks. Naturally, I'll dedicate these two weeks to her. **

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS, ALERTS and FAVORITES!  
><strong>

**This is the kind of chapter that fills the gap between the beginning and the start of the plot. **

**Hope you like it and sorry again!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. **

* * *

><p><strong>Forbidden<br>**

"_There's something wrong with you." _

_Is there?_

"_This is your own fault, you know that right?"_

_Is it?_

"_I wouldn't do this if you were normal."_

_You wouldn't?_

"_But you're a freak." _

_Am I?_

"_And you've made into one, too." _

_Have I?_

"_So this is your fault."_

_But..._

* * *

><p>Kurt woke up sweating and yet freezing. He couldn't remember his dream but knew it hadn't been nice. The feeling of utter loneliness washed over him, leaving him empty in a way that made his stomach ache as if he was hungry.<p>

He glanced at the alarm clock on his bedside table. 4.30. He didn't have to wake Blaine up for another couple of hours. Knowing he wouldn't be able to go fall back to sleep anymore, Kurt figured he might as well go downstairs and do some laundry. That would give him a few hours of extra time to read during the day, and maybe take a nap.

The young slave got dressed in his usual uniform, made sure it wasn't wrinkled and then, as quietly as possible, opened the door that led to Blaine's room. It was dark, the only light coming from the gap between the floor and the door to the hallway, where couple of lights were always kept on. With steps as soft as a cat's, Kurt tiptoed across the room, picking up the hamper on his way. He froze with his hand already on the handle when Blaine shifted but relaxed when the other teen merely mumbled something about 'such pretty eyes' and hugged his pillow to his chest. Kurt smiled softly and exited the room, pushing the door shut behind him as gently as possible.

Blaine hadn't brought up their little visit to Lima but Kurt had noticed that he acted slightly differently around him now. His smile became a little brighter when Kurt came into the room and he seemed to hum a new song under his breath every day, as if silence could not be tolerated. He had mentioned a show choir competition that was coming up so the singing could have something to do with that... But that didn't explain why he would sometimes break into the most random of love songs and dance with Kurt around his room like a five year old.

It couldn't all be just to cheer Kurt up, could it?

But Kurt had firmly decided that was it. He had to keep his owns feelings in check and wishing, hoping, didn't help with that at all. Especially when his wishes could never come true.

Aside from his own little room – and maybe Blaine's...- the laundry room was Kurt's favorite place in the house. It smelled clean. It smelled like home.

It smelled like his mom.

After separating whites from colors and making sure none of the things Blaine had put in his hamper had to be dry cleaned, Kurt put the first load to the machine and turned it on. He knew it would take an hour for the machine to be done and he could easily have breakfast or a shower while he waited, but he simply went to the corner of the room and sat down on a little bench under which he had 'Tuck, Everlasting' hidden half-read.

Kurt was good at focusing on one thing at a time. He forced his mind to read the words in front of him and didn't let it wander. Because it would wander to bad places and Kurt really didn't need that right now. He was happier than he had been in a long time and he wouldn't let something as small as the possibility of never seeing his dad again ruin that.

Okay, so maybe he wasn't as good at the focusing thing as he thought he was.

NO! Kurt decided when he felt the tears form in his eyes. He would not cry about this again. Nothing would change no matter how how much he cried. Blinking to clear his vision, Kurt turned the page. All the words slipped from his mind as soon as he had read them, but it was still a distraction. Added to the sound of the washing machine, reading created a nice, private bubble for him.

"Kurt?"

A bubble that was apparently pretty easy to burst.

Kurt looked up from his book to see Blaine standing in the doorway with his hair sticking up to every direction, his pajama pants and shirt wrinkled and his eyes blurry with sleep. He looked like a five year old frowning at Kurt.

"What are you doing up this early?" he mumbled, his voice cracking.

"Couldn't sleep so I thought I should start with my chores," Kurt explained. "Oh gosh, I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, I had to pee," Blaine said. "Noticed your door was open." The older boy stepped further into the room, scratching the back of his neck and yawning. "It smells funny in here."

"It's the laundry room," Kurt stated the obvious. "Why don't you go back to bed? You could still get a few hours of sleep."

"I can't sleep when I know you're not in the other room, I'll get lonely," Blaine complained. "Or do you want to be alone?" he asked. His voice sounded like he was a little bit more awake.

No, Kurt thought but was it right to say that if it meant Blaine would lose sleep he needed? He was sure his owner was just kidding with the lonely thing, he'd fall back to sleep as soon his head hit the pillow. But would he get hurt if he said yes? Were they good enough... friends... for that?

"I love this book!" Blaine had knelt down in front of Kurt, his jaw on his lap. He had gone from a five year old to a puppy who had spotted a treat. "It's the one with the girl who has a funny name!"

"Winifred," Kurt said. He figured he didn't have to answer anymore.

"That's the one! Have you seen the movie?"

"No."

"Oh well. It's not as good, they never are. But the one who plays Jesse? Hot!"

Kurt chuckled. He had to deal with a sleepy Blaine every morning but at least then there was always coffee waiting for him. Now he was running with four hours of sleep and no caffeine. This made him very... undapper. Undapper (_That can't be a word,_ Kurt thought.) and adorable.

"We should totally have a Harry Potter marathon some day!" Blaine said. "Yeah and we should invite Wes and David, they want to meet you, and we should eat red vines and wear round glasses!"

"I thought you said movies are never as good as books," Kurt pointed out.

"They aren't but the second part of Deadly Hallows comes out next summer and it's like an end of an era! The Mayas had it right. The end of the world will come in 2012. I'm sure of it."

"Because there will be no more Harry Potter?"

"Yes!" Blaine exclaimed. "Don't you get it, Kurt? Nothing to wait for!"

Kurt shook his head, grinning at his owner's weirdness. This little conversation about nothingness proofed to be a much better distraction than a book about a ten year old.

"Why aren't you taking this seriously?" Blaine demanded.

Kurt shrugged. "I haven't read them."

"WHAT?" Blaine sat up straight, staring at Kurt with wide open eyes.

"You'll wake up the whole house..."

"You haven't read the Harry Potter series? With all the books you've gone through during these last two weeks?"

"Well... They aren't in my bookshelf," Kurt said.

"But they are in mine! In three languages! You know you can just borrow them whenever you want! Scratch that, I'm forcing you to take them. You can't say you have lived before you've read them. Ah, I can't believe this..." Blaine said and put his jaw back on Kurt's knee. "You haven't read Harry Potters..."

"You sound like that is the most shocking thing you have ever heard," Kurt said with laughter in his voice.

"It isn't. But I'm very tired."

"Then go back to bed, silly!"

"I told you, I'll get lonely," Blaine looked up. "Come with me."

"Can't, I already started with the laundry. I don't wanna leave wet clothes in the machine, it makes them all wrinkly and weird," Kurt said.

"I don't care."

"I do. Blaine, there's a pair of 300 dollar jeans in there. I would never forgive myself if I didn't treat them with the care they deserve."

Blaine sighed, shifting so that he was now using Kurt's lap as his pillow. "You spoil me."

"Right back at ya."

"No," Blaine said. "I think of you what you think of those jeans. You're person, Kurt. The fact that I treat you like one is not spoiling."

Kurt swallowed against the lump in his throat as he looked down to the soft mop of hair. Without really even realizing he was doing it, he put his hand through it, combing it with his long fingers. Blaine made a small sound of pleasure and folded his arms under his head.

"Sing," he suddenly said, so quietly it was almost a whisper.

"Sing what?" Kurt asked.

"Anything."

Kurt thought for a couple of minutes, still stroking Blaine's hair and listening to his even breathing. All the songs that came to his head felt too personal and he wasn't in a mood for a deep conversation or dealing with emotions this early in the morning.

With the smell of apple scented detergent in his nose, Kurt opened his mouth.

"_Come with me  
>And you'll be<br>In a world of pure imagination.._."

He kept his voice soft, like he remembered his mom doing when she was singing him a lullaby. This song had been one of his favorite bed time songs. It always gave him nice dreams.

Kurt didn't know any other life, he had always been a slave. Even before they had taken him to McKinley he had helped his dad with the Fabray family cars or, when he was really lucky, assisted their cook. But in his dreams he could escape to a place that was made of cotton candy or where his house was a giant pineapple. Even during the darker times in his life, no one could take away the lovely images that were his world during the good nights.

"_There is no  
>Life I know<br>To compare with pure imagination..."_

Suddenly Kurt realized his fingers were stroking air. He blinked himself away from his thoughts and saw Blaine looking straight into his eyes with an unreadable expression on his face.

"_If you wanna view a paradise  
>Simply look around an view it."<em>

Blaine's voice was just a soft as Kurt's, deeper and still filled with sleep.

"_Anything you want to, do it..."_ Blaine breathed out, lifting himself up from the floor. Kurt's heart rate quickened.

"_Wanna change the world?  
>There's nothing to it"<em>

"Let's change the world," Blaine whispered and before Kurt had time for any kind of thought, Blaine's lips were on his.

Why? Was the first thing that popped into Kurt's mind when his brain unfroze after a few seconds. Why would Blaine want to kiss him?

But whatever the reason was, it didn't matter when Blaine deepened the kiss gently, silently prompting Kurt to respond. And Kurt did. For this was nothing like what he had experienced before. No one was forcing him to do anything, no one was holding him to stay still. He could stop this, he could leave if he wanted to, he could say no. He knew Blaine would stop if he said no.

Kurt didn't open his eyes when Blaine pulled away. For all he knew, this _was_ pure imagination and he would wake up in a couple seconds to find himself in his room, laundry still undone.

"Wh-why?" he asked out loud when he opened his eyes and Blaine was still there.

"Because the world can be changed," Blaine answered. "And we can change it." He gave Kurt another quick kiss. "And because you're gorgeous and so talented and so, so strong. I admire you so much, Kurt. You have no idea. And just now, while you were singing, all I could think of was... I don't want 'us' to be imagination."

"You can't fall for me," Kurt said. "You can't..."

What if he hadn't had a nightmare? What if he had stayed in bed? What if Blaine hadn't gone to the bathroom?

"Because it's against the rules?" Blaine asked and Kurt nodded.

"It's against so many rules..."

"Well then, the rules have to be changed."

Kurt didn't even realize what Blaine had done before he saw his collar in front of his eyes. Blaine threw it across the room, causing the slave's heart stop for a second.

_What, what, what?_

"I'm so glad I didn't go back to bed," Blaine murmured and then he was kissing Kurt again.

Kurt slid down so that he was practically sitting on top of Blaine. His hands went back to his owner's hair and he could feel a pair of soft thumbs making circles on his shoulders. They didn't try to explore places Kurt considered private and somehow he knew they would only do so if Kurt said it was okay.

It wasn't okay. Not yet. And if the way Blaine kept kissing him implied anything, he didn't mind.

"You _can't _fall for me," Kurt repeated when they finally broke apart. "Don't fall in love with me."

"But I want to."

"The world is a big place to change, Master Blaine," Kurt said sternly. "You're supposed to experiment with me and then marry a nice, pretty girl. Or at least a nice, wealthy boy. But you can't marry me. You can't love me."

"Kurt," Blaine said, matching the younger boy's tone. "I've known you for a couple of months and I already know that you're the most unique, awesome person I have ever met. And that's saying something because I know Wes and David. They can be pretty unique when they want to. This could be amazing Kurt," Blaine took a hold of the slave's hands. "Let yourself have something amazing."

Everything amazing had been taken away from Kurt.

"Just don't fall in love with me."

_I'm such a hypocrite._

Blaine didn't answer. He simply pulled Kurt into a hug and sang the last lines of the song:

"_Living there  
>You'll be free<br>If you truly  
>Wish to be."<em>

* * *

><p>"<em>Can't we run away? We could disappear!" <em>

"_Kurt, buddy..." _

"_I don't want to go back there! I hate it there, Dad. I just wanna be with you!" _

_Kurt hadn't removed his arms from around Burt's waist since he came through the door of the house he still called home. If he had to look for something good in his life right now, it would be the fact that the Karofskys followed the word of the law. _

"_Hey, hey..." Burt tried to soothe his sobbing son. He had a bile in his throat himself which made it more than hard to make his voice strong and convincing. "I promise you, things will get better one day."_

"_How?" _

"_I... I don't know. But they will. You just have to believe that they will."_

_That sounded something his wife would say._**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>A filler up if there ever was one... <strong>

**I have plans for Blackbird and I have been listening Pure Imagination non stop for a last few days and I thought it would be perfect here. I wanted them to kiss pretty early on so that I could really start with the story and develop their feelings into something much much more. **

**Alright, I'm done explaining. **

**Hope you like it, see you when my friend is back in Germany (to be honest I never want her to leave but oh well :( )**


	5. Chapter 5

**Humbled by the response I got from the last chapter, I decided not to go to the beach but update once more before my two week absence. During tomorrow's predicted thunderstorm I will attempt to write a new chapter to Something Borrowed. I am half way through it but I am facing a major decision and can't seem to make up my mind. **

**Thank you so much to everyone!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Glee, we wouldn't have had to wait for 10 episodes...**

* * *

><p><strong>Rules<strong>

_It was one of those nights when Kurt couldn't fall asleep at all. He just waited. Even when it got so late he was pretty sure he would be left alone, his eyes stayed open, fixed on the little crack on the wall that looked like a lightning. _

_When the door opened, Kurt told himself he had known it would. He squeezed his blanket and prepared himself, the salty taste that he would never be able to forget already filling his mouth. _

_His heart jolted to his throat when a hand covered his mouth. A hand that did not belong to a 14 year old. _

_He could only cry when the last of his innocence was taken away from him._

* * *

><p><strong>Wes Yang: <strong>_So we're down to Raise Your Glass and Fucking Perfect. Both of which we have to clean up of course. What do you think?_

**Blaine Anderson: **_Fucking Perfect might be a little, you know, too serious. And quite honestly, I do like the PG version but Pink is so bad-ass that it kinda sounds off without the F word. I'd go with Raise Your Glass. _

**Wes Yang: **_Noted, we'll discuss the details on Monday. Man... We need a countertenor like... really badly. _

Blaine sighed. The head of the Warbler council, and one of his best friends, had not shut up about finding someone who could hit higher notes for the last month and was dead set on getting one to join their group before Regionals. He had even suggested kidnapping someone from a different school and paying for his tuition himself.

**Wes Yang: **_You think we could disguise a girl as a boy? Someone flat chested and short haired?_

**Blaine Anderson: **_You're losing it. _

**Wes Yang: **_Desperate times call for desperate measures. _

**Blaine Anderson: **_We have amazing singers in our group. Have a little more faith, okay? We'll be fine!_

**Wes Yang: **_We're doomed..._

Blaine rolled his eyes.

**Blaine Anderson: **_Do you need a hug?_

**Wes Yang: **_Yes, please!_

**Blaine Anderson: **_Alright, hold on a minute, I'll text David._

David and Wes both lived on campus and Blaine was certain they felt more for each other than what they let the world see. No, he wouldn't say they were gay, per se. It was more like... Wes was David-sexual and vice versa.

**Blaine Anderson: **_He's on his way. _

There was no reply so Blaine could only assume David had ran from his room to Wes's. He chuckled to himself and clicked to log off Skype. Leave it Wes to not let him relax on a Saturday morning.

The black haired teen stretched his limbs and yawned, wondering if he should tell Wes that Kurt could sing Defying Gravity. Somehow he was sure that the Asian would find a way to make Kurt part of their group for a few weeks. A Dalton Uniform could make anyone look like they came from money.

Speaking of Kurt, Blaine hadn't seen him since he had left to help Mark with the Saturday brunch. He smiled as he thought of the sparkle in the slave's eyes when he talked about Eggs Benedict and waffle's with cream, both of which he would only be allowed to eat the left overs of. Making a mental note to leave a lot of them, Blaine stood up, ready to get dressed.

"Someone is in trouble!"

Blaine jumped when he heard his little sister's voice, a little mocking but overly happy. He had not noticed the door opening which just showed how deep in his thoughts he had been.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, annoyed. Maria didn't answer, just giggled and waved before skipping off, singing some Disney Princess song from the top of her lungs. Off key. "She's going to be a handful as a girlfriend," Blaine mumbled under his breath. "I can't believe I'm happy we're related."

Surely she'd grow up. They all grew up, right?

"Well aren't you slow this morning."

Blaine jumped yet again and turned to see his dad in the doorway. "Had a Skype meeting with Wes. We're trying to finalize our set list for Regionals," he explained. "I'll be down in just a minute."

"Where's your slave?"

"In the kitchen with M... Ted. He likes to cook. Um... Can you leave, I have to change?"

"Actually," Mr. Anderson said and Blaine couldn't help but think Maria had been right when he closed the door. "We need to talk."

"About what?" Blaine asked, keeping his voice casual and innocent and smile on his face. It faltered a little when his dad held up a piece of leather that he recognized to be Kurt's collar. "Oh good, you found it! We've been looking for that!"

"Maria found it," Mr. Anderson corrected. "Behind the rose bushes in the garden."

Blaine blushed when he remembered how the collar had ended up in there. "He has a spare one. This one doesn't clash with his uniform so much, though so... I guess I should go thank Maria," he said, attempting to take the collar from his dad. The older man only held it up higher, preventing Blaine from getting it. "Dad?"

"He's not supposed to take this off, Blaine," Mr. Anderson said.

"He... He didn't. I did."

"You took it off him?"

"Yeah, I... I..."

"Maria also said she has heard you call him Kurt."

"I... She must have..."

"Now I went through some papers that Ms. Sylvester gave us. Papers that I am sure you have not bothered to read. It turns out, Kurt is the name that was given to him when he was born. Pretty strange, huh?"

Blaine stared at his dad, his eyes wide.

"And then there's this." Mr. Anderson took a white envelope from his pocket. Even from where he was, Blaine could see it was addressed to him. He felt a stab of anger when he realized his dad had opened his mail but knew he was in so much trouble already that he should keep his mouth shut. "This came in the mail yesterday. It's from the Selling Center. You have requested to know the name of the family that has bought someone called Burt Hummel. _Unfortunately, the information you're asking for is classified._" Mr. Anderson turned his glare from the letter to look Blaine straight in the eye. "Why exactly do you need to know the location of your slave's father?"

"Because Kurt hasn't seen him in two years!" Blaine exploded. "He's a minor, dad, that's against the law!"

"A slave taking off his collar is against the law, Blaine!"

"I already told you that I was the one who took it off!"

"He let you do it. That is just as bad."

"But can't you see how twisted that is, Dad? He's not allowed to take it off but if I want to take it off him, he can't refuse! He's not allowed to say no to any of my requests! That is just so sick!" Blaine said.

"Requests?"

"Wh...? Well, yeah."

"You don't request a slave anything, Blaine. You demand for it." Blaine felt sick to his stomach. "That is why they are called slaves. They are good for nothing than to serve us."

"Stop it..."

"They are not as intelligent, who knows what kind of a rat whole they have crawled from..."

"Stop it."

"...and if you ask me, they should take the children away as soon they are born to prevent..."

"Stop it, Dad, just... Shut up!" Blaine yelled. He knew right away he would probably not be able to attend the important Warblers meeting on Monday as his had just got his butt grounded. "Just shut up," he mumbled, knowing he could not get into any more trouble than he already was.

"Oh my God. That son a of bitch has brainwashed you."

"What?" Blaine breathed out. "No, what the hell are you...? Dad, ouch, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to teach you how slaves are to be handled," Mr. Anderson said, dragging his son downstairs by the arm. He didn't stop when his wife appeared from the living room ("Richard, what's going on?") or when Maria demanded to know when they were going to eat.

"Dad, you're hurting me..."

"You!" Richard bellowed when they reached the kitchen. Blaine flinched when he saw that Kurt had frozen while slicing tomatoes. With a big knife. "Come here. Blaine, grab him by the collar and take him to the basement."

"He's not a dog!"

"Oh for crying out..."

Blaine should have done as he was told, he realized, as his dad all but strangled Kurt by forcing him to tag along. The older teen nearly slipped in his hurry to follow them down the narrow footsteps that led to their basement.

Richard led Kurt to the furthest corner of the room where the slave turned around as if he had done this before. It broke Blaine's heart to see how every ounce of will-power seemed to have simply left Kurt's body. He had become so numb himself he only realized his dad was in front of him when a whip was put into his hand.

"No," he said simply. "No way, I'm not doing it."

"This is how slaves are punished, Blaine. Check the rule book, I assure you it is there."

"But you have never..."

"I have. Until now I thought you were too young to see it. Now I realize I should have educated you about this matter a long time ago."

Blaine thought he was going to throw up. Mark and Haley... Ted and Laura. In his eyes they had never done anything wrong. The food was always good and the house was always clean.

"I can't do it, Dad," he whispered. "And why should I? If I don't think he should be punished then what gives you the right to...?"

"I have every right! I bought him!"

"For me! He's mine! Shouldn't I decide when this is necessary?"

"Oh Blaine, you're so naive."

And before Blaine knew it, the whip was taken from in. His stomach twisted into a knot when he heard it slice the air and then – his knees buckled – the sound of it slashing Kurt's back.

"Take you shirt off, slave."

"No, Dad, no. Enough. It's enough, please, Dad..." Blaine begged. His legs had turned into lead.

"Quiet, Blaine!"

_Swish._

"Don't..."

_Swish. _

"Stop!"

_Swish. _A whimper.

"Dad, please, stop!"

_Swish. _

"Dad..."

_Swish. Swish. Swish. _

A sob.

"Dad!"

_Swish. _A scream.

"Dad, STOP!"

"BLAINE!"

Two different people called his name when a pain he had never felt before went through his arm. He stumbled backwards and would have fallen on top of Kurt, who was now on his knees, if a pair of gentle hands had not kept him up.

"What is the matter with you?"

"He should have done what had to be done, Anne. He has to learn. It was his own choice to be stupid."

Blaine came out of his pain-filled haze when he realized he was being led away from Kurt. "N... no!" he mumbled, shaking his mom's arms from around him and struggled back to the fallen slave. "Kurt..."

"Your arm needs to be tended to," Richard said roughly and forced Blaine back up. "Your slave will stay here for the next 24 hours. No food, no water. And if I ever see him without his collar or hear you call him anything but Chris, he's going straight back to McKinley. It will up to them to decide whether or not he should be kept alive."

Blaine flinched.

He turned around just in time to see Kurt curl up into a ball before the heavy door of the basement was shut and locked.

* * *

><p>It was nearly midnight and Kurt had been locked up in the basement for over 12 hours before Blaine managed to sneak outside and to the back of the house. He knew the key to the basement was most likely hidden in the master bedroom. He wouldn't be surprised if his dad slept with it under his pillow. But he also happened to know that the door wasn't the only way to the basement.<p>

There was small window just below the steps to the back door. When he was lying in bed, thinking of Kurt starving and bleeding all those floors below him, the memory of breaking the lock of it while playing hide and seek with his friends had suddenly popped into Blaine's head. He had been too scared to tell his parents about it and to this day, no one had repaired it.

And it was just and just big enough for him to fit through it now.

Kurt had not moved from his curled up position and he was still shirtless. He didn't react in any way when Blaine jumped down with thud nor did he even flinch when his owner touched his shoulder.

"Kurt?"

There was a quiet intake of breath and then slowly, Kurt looked up. His eyes were not red. "Yes, Master Blaine?"

"Oh God, Kurt!" Blaine fell on his knees and threw his arms around the boy he would so much like to call his boyfriend. He felt stupid, feeling the need to cry when Kurt was probably in so much pain. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!"

"You don't have to be, Master Blaine. I was punished for doing something wrong. It's natur... Ah!"

Kurt had moved to pull away from Blaine's embrace but came completely still when he tried to straighten up. His eyes were closed and he bit his lip so hard it nearly bled.

Blaine's heart broke.

"We're going to leave, Kurt."

Kurt's eyes snapped open. "What?"

"I could just let you run away but I know for a fact that you'd be found before you reached the border of the town. So we're both leaving. Just as soon as your back is healed."

Kurt shook his head. "Master Blaine, we can't just..."

Blaine cut Kurt off by placing his mouth on his. The kiss was gentle but firm and it said more than a speech of 10 thousand words could.

"But Blaine," Kurt whispered when Blaine finally broke the kiss. "You've lived here your whole life, this is your family! You can't just leave behind your home, your school, your friends! And where would we go? And how? And what would we do?"

Blaine actually chuckled. It wasn't a very happy chuckle though. "I... We... will come back once we have changed the world. And found your dad. What my dad did to you was wrong, no matter what laws there are about it, and I won't ever let him do that to you again. But we have to be the ones to start the change, Kurt. No one else is willing to."

"But we can't do it alone!"

"Don't worry," was all that Blaine said. "Now, wait just a second, I'll go get you something to eat."

Kurt's eyes became a bit more alert at the mention of food. Blaine kissed the corner of his mouth before standing up and squeezing his way through the window again. Once out where he had reception, he took out his phone and dialed the first number that came to his mind.

"Wes?"

"Blaine? What the hell man, it's like..."

"I know it's late, listen, I need... "

"Does this have something to do with the Warblers?"

"No, this has nothing to do with the Warblers."

"Then it's not important, good night!"

"Yes, it is still important. I need your help."

"With the Harry Potter marathon? Because I still think that's a bad..."

"No, gosh! Not with that. I mean it, Wes, I really need help. I'm trying to start a revolution."

"…"

"I knew that would shut you up."

* * *

><p><em>Kurt couldn't stop crying.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>*hides behind a rock*<strong>

**I'll uh... bake you cupcakes? **

**Oh, who am I kidding? !**

**Bye for now!  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!**

**And I am so so so so sorry for the delay!**

**Love you all, hugs and cookies!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

* * *

><p><strong>Friends<strong>

_There were times Kurt thought he was going to die._

_Not during the night though. During the day. When he had to smile and obey and act normally. He couldn't rebel. He couldn't yell. He couldn't tell. _

_He had to keep it all in. _

* * *

><p>This was the first time in over two years someone else was in his bed with him. Someone's hand was stroking his bare back.<p>

And Kurt couldn't help but feel absolutely terrified.

He desperately tried not to show it. Because this was Blaine, his Blaine, Blaine who wouldn't dream of hurting him. So Kurt was ashamed of his quick heartbeat and his shallow breathing. His mind tried to take him back to bad places so he kept his eyes open so that he could **see **that it was only Blaine with him and not... either of them.

What made him feel particularly pathetic was that there was nothing sexual about the way his owner was touching him. There was no reason to be afraid.

"I'm worried about this one." Kurt winced when Blaine touched one the scars that had formed on his back. "Sorry. The others don't hurt when I touch them, right?"

"No."

"Hmm..."

Kurt didn't like that 'hmm'. "It looks that bad?"

"I'd like to have a doctor take a look at it."

"No."

"There are places where I can take you."

"I know that," Kurt almost snapped. "I just.. I don't want to see a doctor."

"Why not?"

Because the doctor would have access to his medical history.

"They scare me." Well... They did so it wasn't a lie, right?

Blaine sighed. "Kurt, this could get seriously infected. You might need antibiotics or something," he said.

"Or it might get better on its own. Let's just give it a little more time, okay?" Kurt replied, getting up. He reached for the white shirt he used under his uniform, ignoring the look Blaine was giving him. "Don't you have to get ready?"

"You're trying to change the subject."

"True but I also know Wes and David will be here in half an hour," Kurt said. "Did you forget already?"

Blaine's frown turned into a groan. He dropped his head on Kurt's shoulder, letting out a fake sob. "I did. I did forget. Oh! Goodbye, peaceful afternoon!"

"Come on, Blaine," Kurt said. "Grow up."

"Oh no! No, no, outside of school you can't be a grown up with these two. They'll be serious for just as long as they need to be but then they spot something – like a trampoline – and before you know it, you're taking one of them to the emergency room!"

Kurt was having hard time believing Blaine was actually as serious as he sounded. "Well... It is a little cold for a trampoline... If that makes you feel any better."

"Not really."

"I thought you invited them."

Blaine looked up. "That's true. But only because they are useful. The moment they decide that our jacuzzi looks like it could be the path to Narnia, they are out of here."

"You love them and you know it."

Blaine faked a shocked face. "I do not, take that back!"

"You do, too. I used to whine and moan about the stupidity of my friends, just like you. But when I stopped and thought about it, the idiotic stuff was what made them special. At the end of the day, that's what true friendship is, right? Knowing them for exactly who they are and loving them nonetheless."

A small smile was playing on Kurt's lips as he thought of Finn's dancing and Rachel's speeches before she started singing. How Brittany didn't want to crack an egg because it was a 'baby-chicken's house.' He remembered rolling his eyes when Artie answered the phone with "who dis be?"

And then Blaine was kissing him. It was a sweet, curious peck at first but it turned into something more heated when Kurt responded. Kissing wasn't scary. Not when it was so gentle, warm and loving.

Before he knew it, he was was lying down again, this time on his back. The scar ached a bit in protest but Kurt didn't care. He laced his fingers behind Blaine's neck, asking him silently to put a little more pressure into the kiss. Blaine obliged.

As he let himself think that Blaine's whole world revolved around him at the moment, Kurt didn't even feel the other teen's hand going up and down his side. One of his own was traveling down Blaine's spine and judging by the little sounds coming deep from his throat, Kurt figured he should keep doing it. He giggled into the kiss, letting his tongue explore just a little more than ever before...

Wait, no... Not there.

Kurt bolted up, causing Blaine to fall off the bed with a yelp. The terrified feeling had come back and Kurt could feel tears burning in the corners of his eyes. He blinked to stop them from falling.

"Kurt? Hey, what's wrong? Is it your back? Oh god, I didn't hurt you, did I?" Blaine was asking frantically.

"N-no..." Kurt mumbled. "No, you didn't... I'm sorry, I was just... caught by surprise, that's all," he tried to explain. "We should uh... get dressed, they'll be here soon."

He stood up and was halfway to his closet when Blaine caught him by the arm and turned him around. "Kurt, you – you trust me, right?"

Kurt blinked. "Yes, of course."

"I won't hurt you. Ever."

"I know that."

"And I want you to tell me when I go too far." Kurt swallowed air. "I went too far, didn't I?"

"Like I said, I wasn't expecting... I mean, I didn't notice..."

"You don't have to explain," Blaine cut him off. "This is new to me, too. I just hope you know that I have no expectations or anything like that. And that you remember what I promised you. I won't force you into anything."

A bile had formed in Kurt's throat as he looked at the other boy. The sincerity in his eyes was almost too much for him to handle as he had not experienced anything like it ever before. The slave managed to put a small, genuine smile on his face and kissed the corner of Blaine's mouth.

"I know," he said again. "And I'm thankful." Blaine squeezed his arm gently. "But we really do have to get ready.

With one last quick kiss, Blaine was out of the room. Kurt looked at the door he had closed behind him for a good thirty seconds before shaking his head. "Get a hold of yourself!" he mumbled angrily. He gave himself a mental kick and took out his tie and jacket.

* * *

><p>"Are you completely out of your mind?"<p>

"No."

"Oh, please, tell me that you are so I can just call people in white jackets to take you away because Blaine! This is not something you can just kid about!"

"I know that, Wes."

"So you're actually planning to completely change the ways our society is built upon?"

"I am."

"Because you're in love with your slave?"

"I... Well..."

"Ah, God damn it! I should have known. The way you talk about him... I knew he was special but this..."

"Keep your voice down!"

Kurt had heard this conversation a few minutes before he had actually been introduced to Wes for the first time. It had been a couple of weeks ago, two days after Blaine's dad had whipped his back to resemble a maze.

If you wanted to be dramatic about it.

David had shown up a couple of hours later and Blaine had explained to them what and why he and Kurt were actually planning to do and what they needed help with. After the initial shock, the two boys had agreed to do what they could. They still didn't quite understand but then again, Kurt didn't either.

"Here. Do not ask how I did it, it's done and I never want to think about it again!" Wes said dramatically as he handed Blaine a little piece of plastic.

"You only had to pay, you dork," David pointed out.

"Yes, but I had to go..." Wes shuddered. "..._there_ and it was awful!"

"Where did you...?"

"I told you not to ask!" Wes cut Blaine, who raised his hands up in defeat, off.

"Alright, well... Thanks, Wes. Really, this helps a lot!" Blaine said. Wes merely shrugged as he let himself fall on Blaine's gigantic bed.

Kurt took the card from Blaine and examined it. He didn't know what authority used to see if a driver's license was real or not but to him, it look pretty damn genuine. He only knew it was fake because... well, he _knew_ it was fake... and his name and date of birth had been changed.

"You know how to drive, Kurt?" David asked, sitting down next to Wes.

"Uh... yeah," Kurt answered, a little taken back by the use of his real name. You'd think he was used to it by now but sometimes simply the fact that there were _nice_ rich people in the world felt weird to him. "I helped Ms. Sylvester with her car once. She was impressed enough to think I could be useful behind the wheel, too, so she payed for my Slave Drive 1. Basically it means I'm not allowed to drive unsupervised."

"You can fix cars?" David's voice was doubtful and impressed at the same time.

"Not a big deal, really, my dad's a mechanic. I pretty much grew up in a garage," Kurt said. He saw Blaine looking at him from the corner of his eye.

"That's just too cool!" Wes exclaimed. "I can't even fix my bike!"

"You could if you would be willing to get your hands dirty," David deadpanned.

"Shut it, David. No more comments from you."

David rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyway, Blaine... I assume fake ID for Kurt is not the only thing you're going to need if you're serious about this whole thing. Are you serious about this? I mean, it's admirable and everything but is it realistic? Don't get me wrong!" he said when Blaine shot him a look. "I will help whatever you do. It's just that... I kinda like having you around so it'd be nice if you, both of you, stayed alive. I don't want you to end up like that dude who knocked up his owner's daughter."

"What dude?" Kurt asked immediately.

"Oh, it was just in the news a couple of days ago. A teenage slave apparently slept with the youngest girl of his family. She ended up pregnant. They're debating on his sentence now. Some people are saying they are deliberately delaying making the decision because he will be 18 soon and can be judged as an adult," David told.

"That's insane! Owner's have sex with their slaves all the time! From what I've understood," Blaine added, looking at Kurt who nodded. He didn't like this conversation.

"I don't know anything else, haven't really had time to relax and watch TV lately," David said, pointing his words at Wes.

"What do you blame me for, blame the people who voted for you to be on the Council," Wes said.

"Anyway, my point is," David continued. He ignored Wes who was sticking his tongue out at him. "if you guys get caught, you're going to be in serious trouble. Like, major. As in, we won't be able to help at that point anymore. No amount of money or connections will get you out of that pickle. You won't only be facing the authority but..."

"Thank you, David, we get it!" Blaine interrupted his friend's babbling. Kurt felt like he was going to be sick. "We know what's at stake here but it's worth it. So, to answer your question, yes, more serious than you can imagine."

Kurt felt something warm flow through his body and settle his slight nausea when Blaine took his hand and laced their fingers. He knew he was blushing which just made him blush harder and he turned his eyes to his new Driver's license again. According to it his name was Christopher Gray. He had to get used to saying that when asked. He also had to memorize his new birthday, June 4th instead of August 4th. Couldn't be too hard, right?

"...a place where we can plan and do research without my parents becoming suspicious," Blaine's voice brought Kurt back to the room. "We're not going to rush anything but I don't really feel like planning the change of the world order under my dad's nose."

"Well, I guess my house will work. We can just say we're working on some official Warbler business. With sectionals coming up, they won't suspect a thing," Wes suggested.

"Knowing you..."

"Didn't I tell you I don't want to hear any more of your comments?"

David rolled his eyes, smirking. Kurt was surprised when he felt a smile tugging the corners of his mouth. Maybe it was the so unbelievably relaxed way Blaine's friends acted around the not-just-a-little-strange couple that made all this impossibleness feel like it was actually possible.

I mean, a couple of days ago Kurt would not have believed two boys with such high social status could make him feel like he was part of the group.

"Thank you," he said suddenly. All three set of eyes turned to look at him. "For... everything."

A genuine smile appeared on Wes's face. "Don't mention it, Kurt."

–

"I love my friends," Blaine sighed as he lied down on his bed a few hours later.

"See? I told you."

"Yes, yes, you are very wise my dear Kurt," Blaine laughed. "Come here."

Kurt giggled when Blaine tugged at his arm, making him fall right next to him. He rested his head on Blaine's chest, listening to the steady 'thump, thump, thump' that was his owner's heart. He suddenly felt silly for being so afraid of being touched by Blaine.

"We are going to find your dad." Blaine's mouth moved against his hair.

"I know we are."

"Do you?"

Kurt moved his head so that he could Blaine in the eye. "Yes."

Neither one of them heard the steps outside the door.

* * *

><p>"<em>Stop." <em>

"_What?" _

"_Stop... Stop, please just stop! Stop! STOP! HELP!"_

* * *

><p><strong>So... Since in the second episode of season 1 of Glee, Kurt says his dad gave him the Navigator for his Sweet 16, I figured well... Kurt had to have turned 16 before the show started. So that's what I based his birth date on. I checked Wikipedia and a couple of other sites, couldn't find the actual date so I am guessing I remember correctly and it hasn't been told. <strong>

**Anywhooo... **

**There WILL be ND members in this story, don't you guys worry. No story of Kurt would be complete without Finn and Mercedes ;) **

**And the plot will develop in the next chapter. Promiiiseeeee!**

**Love to all. YEY for New York!  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Alrighty...**

**I don't know what to say about this chapter except that I wrote it on a train. I'm such a good daughter that I chose to go to my dad's 50th birthday party five hours away instead of meeting the Phelps Twins that came to Helsinki to celebrate the premiere of the Deathly Hallows, part 2. But it's all good, I got this done :) **

**Well... I saw Deathly Hallows on Wednesday. I had a shirt thats said FIND=Fred Is Not Dead front and Totally Awesome on the back. Made it myself. :) A couple of people with "What the hell is a Hufflepuff" shirts came to hug me. :) :) **

**Okay, okay. Here you go, hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or the song that I use.**

* * *

><p><strong>Truth, part 1<br>**

_No one came. Kurt screamed as loud as he could, he knew there were other people in the house but no one came. He cried, he kicked, he fought back for the first time ever but it didn't stop. _

_He was beyond caring. All he had to do was hold onto Kurt and the boy was helpless. The kicks and the screaming just made him rougher and more aggressive. Maybe this was the reaction he had been waiting for this whole time. He knew had finally broken the slave. _

"_Help..." _

* * *

><p>"I need him to calm down."<p>

The clinic was small and it was mostly meant for young slave children with high fevers and pregnant slave mothers. The boys had had to drive for two hours to reach it since slaves were only treated in hospitals in cases of absolute emergency.

Kurt had been quiet and nervous through the whole drive. He had protested to the last minute but as he couldn't even sleep on his back anymore, the arguments were pointless.

"It's gonna be fine," Blaine had said before they had stepped in. Kurt had not responded.

And now he was hyperventilating.

Blaine's heart was racing as he tried to think of ways to calm Kurt down. The younger teen was having a full on panic attack and didn't even seem to know where he was anymore. His eyes were shut tight and he was gripping onto to the edge of the examination table as if it was his life-line.

"Can you get through to him? At this rate he'll pass out. Would make it easier to examine..."

"No!" Blaine said right away. Just the thought of Kurt finding out he had been touched when he wasn't aware... "Kurt. Kurt! Kurt, look at me, it's okay. It's all okay, no one's going to hurt you. You're safe. You're with me." Kurt's quick, uneven breathing stopped for a split second when Blaine got a firm hold of his shoulders. "I know you're scared. I know you didn't want to come and I'm sorry but Kurt... I can't stand it when you're in pain."

Blaine's insides turned into ice when Kurt opened his eyes. He was still somewhere else, his mind wasn't in the room and the look on his face was simply...

Defeated.

"Oh, baby, what did they do to you...?"

The doctor cleared his throat but Blaine ignored him. He took the tiniest step closer to Kurt but didn't move his hands from his shoulders. His voice was barely louder than a sigh as he started to sing:

"_I walked across an empty land  
>I knew the pathway like the back of my hand..." <em>

"Shh, baby," Blaine whispered when he heard a quiet whimper between Kurt's ragged breaths. His own voice was rough with tears he tried to hold at bay.

"_I felt the earth beneath my feet  
>Sat by the river and it made me complete. <em>

_Oh simple thing, where have you gone  
>I'm getting old and I need something to rely on<br>So tell me when..." _Blaine had to work through the lump in his throat. _"...when you're gonna let me in  
>I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin." <em>

"Blaine..."

"It's okay, it's okay..." Blaine soothed. Kurt was finally looking at him and his eyes were searching for comfort and strength Blaine wasn't sure he knew how to give. He was barely holding himself together.

"Kurt, I need you to be really brave," Kurt blinked. "I'll be right here the whole time and the moment you feel like it's too much, we'll take a break, okay? Here, take my hand." The other boy eyed the hand Blaine was offering before raising his own and lacing their fingers. He was shaking. "Just squeeze and I'll tell the doctor to stop, alright?" Kurt nodded before closing his eyes again. "Nothing bad will happen. I promise."

"This is going to sting a little..."

"It's okay, it's just the doctor, you're okay," Blaine forced himself to say when Kurt's free hand shot out to grip onto the hand on his shoulder. "He's helping you. He's gonna give you medicine so that your back will get better. Everything is gonna be fine. I'm so proud of you."

Kurt's forehead was against his chest now, his breathing steady but interrupted by sobs every now and then.

"_I came across a fallen tree  
>I felt the branches of it looking at me<br>Is this the place we used to love  
>Is the the place that I've been dreaming of?" <em>

He'd be kicked of the Warblers if he sang the way he did now at Sectionals. It was a wonder he could get any sound out of him at all but he tried to put as many unsaid things to these words as he could.

"Keep singing, please..."

Every single muscle in Kurt's body seemed to be tensed. He was like a rabbit ready to bolt when he sensed danger.

Blaine let out a long, quiet breath.

"_And if you have a minute why don't we go  
>Talk about it somewhere only we know<br>This could be the end of everything  
>So why don't we go somewhere only we know..."<em>

"It's definitely infected," the doctor said after a while. "I assume you're willing to pay for his medication?"

"Yes," Blaine confirmed.

"I would also recommend that you'll give him a couple of days off. He's clearly in pain and needs some rest."

"Not a problem."

At least now he could say it was what the doctor ordered. Blaine had told Kurt to stay in bed every morning since his dad's punishment but still, when he got home from school, his room was clean and the laundry was done.

"You hear that, Kurt? Now you'll have all the time in the world to finish The Deathly Hallows," Blaine said. The doctor was writing something on his computer so Blaine thought it was safe to place a small, soft kiss on top of Kurt's head. Anywhere lower would probably be too much for Kurt to handle right now.

"Fabray, huh?" the doctor suddenly said, his eyes on the screen.

Blaine frowned. "Fabrays are family his parents worked for," he replied. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing, I just, uh... know their daughter. Anyway," the middle-aged man said. "You can put your shirt back on. I'm sorry you had to go through that, your file says that..." The man stopped when Kurt started shaking his head. Blaine looked from him to the confused doctor.

"His file says what?" he asked, unable to keep the question in. "Kurt?"

"Please, Blaine," Kurt said, his voice pleading. "Not here, please. I just wanna go."

The doctor raised his eyebrows and Blaine knew it was because Kurt hadn't used the formal title. He was suddenly very aware that he should have called Kurt Chris but by now it didn't really matter anymore. It was clear their relationship was far more than that of a slave and his owner.

"Let me help," Blaine said gently when Kurt was having trouble with the shirt. It was so obvious how painful each movement was for him that Blaine regretted not taking Kurt to a doctor earlier.

"_So tell me when you're gonna let me in..."_

"Um... I need you to come back here in a week for a check up," the doctor said while Kurt was adjusting his tie. "It'll be really quick," he added hastily when the slave looked alarmed. "I just have to _see _if the antibiotics are kicking in. The infection has gotten pretty bad so I don't want to take any chances."

"We'll be here," Blaine promised, taking the prescription from the doctor. "Thank you."

Kurt all but ran out of the room, mumbling his own thanks from the doorway. Blaine caught up to him on the parking lot, having stayed behind to schedule the time for Kurt's next appointment.

Blaine had no idea how to start the conversation once they were in the car. They sat in silence, Blaine with his hands on the wheel but with no intention to turn on the car and Kurt seemingly very interested in his hands.

"So..." Blaine said with a low voice when the silence became too thick. "What _does _the file say? Have you been to here before?"

"They examine everyone who has been let go by a family," Kurt offered as an explanation. Blaine waited but he didn't continue.

"I finally read your paperwork. It didn't say anything about..."

"Unless it's necessary information because it affects the health of the slave, some things are kept private until he or she turns 18," Kurt interrupted, sounding like a textbook. "You only have to wait a year and they'll send you every single line of text that was ever written of me."

"What kind of things do they think should be... kept... Oh. Oh my God... Oh God..." For a moment Blaine thought he was going to be sick and he was glad that they hadn't left the lot yet as he was sure he would have driven off the road. He was staring at Kurt, hoping for any sign that he had guessed wrong but the look the younger one's face only confirmed his doubts. "But... But... You were not even 15 when they..."

"I know."

Blaine swallowed. "So... So... Dave? That was his name, right, Dave? He... Did he...?"

"I don't really want to go into details. It happened, they broke me and now I can't even..." Kurt's voice faltered. "...I can't even sit through _that_..." he gestured towards the clinic. "...without almost passing out."

Blaine was pretty sure that was not what he was originally planning to say.

"Kurt? Uh... They?"

Kurt froze for a second. "Details, Blaine."

"It's not a detail, Kurt! You mean that more than one person did that to you? And it happened... more than once?"

Kurt chuckled in anything but amused way. "It happened more than once, alright."

Blaine could literally see the walls around Kurt. Underneath the pure bitterness there were still remains of that heartbreaking, defeated look that Blaine wished he would never have to witness again. But there was also determination, grief and... shame? in Kurt's eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I've never told anyone."

"What?"

"Ms. Sylvester and Mr. Schue, the Glee club teacher, the man who was with us when I came to you, they know. They pretty much know everything about everyone."

"That's what he meant when he said you've been through enough," Blaine realized.

"Yeah."

"So tell me something. If I wait patiently and get the information that's considered private... would I learn more than what you just told me? Did you really tell them everything there is to know?"

Kurt ducked his head. "I think they guessed."

Blaine sighed. "You know... If things go as planned, I probably won't be home when you turn 18 anyway. And to be honest, I wanna hear it from you. All of it. I don't want to read a third person's guess about what happened. If it's something you have kept a secret for this long, I think it's only fair you get to tell it when you feel like it's the time."

The raven haired boy most certainly did not expect Kurt to burst into tears after his little speech. For a moment he was so surprised that he just stared but then he carefully put his hand on Kurt's arm.

"Hey... Hey, it's okay, I won't push you. Kurt, I'm just... I'm so sorry, I wish I could turn back time and safe you from all that. You deserve so much better." Kurt just cried harder. "Baby..."

"Blaine, you... You're just so... I can't believe I... Oh God, Blaine, I love you."

The world stopped moving.

"I think I fell in love with you the moment you asked for my name and... Then you just kept on being so nice and so perfect and I waited for that moment when my heart would shatter but it never came and then you kissed me and it was more than I ever dreamed of. And I'm so weak, I can't give you... I'm not... okay, I haven't been okay for a long time and you... I... I..."

"Kurt. Kurt!" Blaine said when Kurt was crying too hard to go on. "Look at me. Kurt, please, just look at me." Nothing. "I love you, too."

Now _that _got Kurt's attention. His eyes were wide. All that Blaine could offer at that moment was a small, honest smile.

Kurt hiccuped. "But..."

"No buts, Kurt. Not about this."

And Kurt shut up. They sat there for a little longer, both processing the last couple of minutes in their heads. Tears were still falling on Kurt's cheeks when Blaine started the car and drove away from the parking lot.

"I've never told anyone," Kurt suddenly said again. "I'll cry the whole time."

"I'll be there when you're ready," Blaine promised.

"I think... I might be. Now that I started. But it's hard. And it's a long story and..."

Blaine took his hand into his own. "Take your time. I won't go anywhere."

–

"I haven't heard anything else."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. They are planning to leave and Blaine's friends are helping, I think... But they haven't said when. And I think Kurt... Chris... the slave is sick."

Richard looked surprised. "What makes you say that, Maria?"

"Well..." the girl mumbled, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Blaine was really worried and I heard them fighting. Blaine wanted to take him to the doctor."

"Did he?"

"I don't know. They went somewhere this morning but Blaine said they were going shopping."

"Shopping, huh?"

Maria shrugged. "Did I do good?"

"Very good, sweetheart," Richard said. "But I still need to know when they are leaving and if they are planning to do more than find the slave's father. Can you be a little darling and find that out for Daddy?"

"You... you won't be mad at Blaine, right? You won't hurt him?"

"No, of course not! I want to protect him. I promise, no harm will come to him. And if you find all this out, we can start talking about getting you a slave of your own."

Maria broke into a huge grin.

* * *

><p><em>In the end, it was Mrs. Karofsky who wanted to send Kurt away. Her explanation was simply: 'homosexual.'<em>

"_Your next family will be better," Burt assured his son. _

"_I don't want to be bought again. Never again." _

"_Don't say that."_

"_And who would want to buy me now? I'm gay, it's wrong, right?" _

"_No, Kurt, it's not wrong," Burt said firmly. "You have every right to love whoever you want." _

_Kurt snorted. "I'm a slave, Dad. I'm a gay slave. I'm lucky if they don't make it illegal." He gave Burt the tool he reached for, leaning against the car his dad was working on. "Did you know?" He didn't have to explain the question. _

"_I've known since you were three."_

_It was the last time Kurt saw his dad. _

* * *

><p><strong>I wanted to make Kurt's story into a chapter of its own. It deserves it. <strong>

**So... That's the next chapter. I don't want to rush through it, it's such a topic that requires and deserves thinking, planning and consideration. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. **

**Until next time! **

**THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH FOR THE ALL THE REVIEWS I HAVE RECIEVED, ALL THE ALERTS AND FAVORITES, TOO! YOU ARE ALL SO...TOTALLY AWESOME!  
><strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**So this chapter is built a little differently than the others.**

**That's all I'm going to say now. **

**Disclaimer: I do now own Glee or the song that I use. **

* * *

><p><strong>Truth, part 2<strong>

"At first I thought Dave was just being a bully, waking me up in the middle of the night. He wanted me to clean his room, do his homework, that kind of stuff. I'd try to be as quiet as possible. I was terrified of what would happen if I ever woke him up..."

* * *

><p><em>Kurt glanced at the digital clock on Dave's bedside. The red numbers read 3.30 am. As he was just about done with the French homework the slightly older boy had neglected, he could get a few more hours of blissful sleep before it was time to wake up to make breakfast with Mary. <em>

_One last question mark and the last sentence was translated. Careful not to make any sound, Kurt stood up, his muscles aching from sitting on the floor. He put the homework sheets on the table as a neat pile and started to make his way out of the room, just like he did every time he was woken up in the middle of the night, two to four times a week. _

_He had no reason to expect what happened next. _

"_You." _

_Kurt let out a choked scream when a rough voice shattered the silence. His heart was beating painfully against his chest as he turned around to see Dave was leaning on his elbows on the bed. At that moment the poor, young slave honestly thought his life would end there and then. _

"_Come here." _

"_I... I'm so sorry, Master David... I didn't mean to wake you up. I tried to be quiet, I swear, I'm sorry. I'll take whatever punishment..."_

"_Just. Come. Here." _

_Swallowing air, Kurt made his way to the bed. Dave sat up as he reached it and looked at him with an unreadable look on his face. _

_Then, without a warning, without a chance to escape, without a possibility to refuse, Dave kissed Kurt. The slave froze, his mind going blank when the other boy's tongue forced its way into his mouth and for the briefest second Kurt felt it on his own. It ended just as abruptly as it had started and Kurt was left feeling confused, violated and downright disgusted. _

_Kurt's mind was still doing such cartwheels – not the good kind – when Dave pushed him away that he stumbled and lost his balance. He landed painfully on the floor but struggled up immediately as if afraid Dave would attack him if he saw him weak. _

"_Leave." _

_He did. _

–

"_You're not allowed to say no to me. And if you value your life I advise you not to try. _

_Kurt felt a nagging urge to say he didn't really value his life at that moment but bit his tongue to keep the retort to himself. Things could only get worse and he wasn't going give Dave a reason to make them so. _

"_I've seen how they do this. Just... take it into your hand and... go up and down." _

_Oh, how Kurt wished he hadn't eaten that day. He tried everything and anything to distract himself from what he was doing. But nothing, not even the Julie Andrews songs he sang to himself in his mind, could block out the sounds coming deep from the other teen's throat. Tears burned in Kurt's eyes as the situation he was in became more and more real and the slight hope that this was all just a nightmare faded. _

_Something sticky hit Kurt square in the face. _

"_Oh my God. Oh my God." _

_Kurt just sat there, unable to move or think. He felt numb._

"_Well. Looks like you're good for something, lady. Now get out of here." _

_His body moved as if he had been turned on autopilot. He was almost out of the room when he heard Dave call after him: "You tell anyone about this, I will kill you." _

_Who in the world **could **he tell? _

–

_This wasn't happening, this wasn't happening, this wasn't happening, Dave had not just told him to do that._

"_What are you waiting for, slave?" _

_Kurt couldn't stop himself from letting out a pain-filled cry when Dave pushed him against the drawer. He gasped when the bigger boy stepped forward and took a fistful of his hair into his hand, bringing their faces as close together as possible without touching. _

"_Are you going to refuse? Fine then, don't expect to see your dad any time soon." _

_Kurt's eyes widened. "You... You can't do that. The law says..." _

"_The law says that a slave has to obey his master. I am your master, my family owns you. You refuse and you lose whatever rights you have. It's that simple. Now kneel down."_

_Kurt had no idea what he was doing. It was not as if this was taught in McKinley. Or any slave school for that matter. Kids were taught whatever the volunteers in their respectful areas could teach. Some learned languages, some learned to cook, some learned to repair houses. _

_There had been rumors but Kurt, as young an naïve and innocent child, had closed his ears in disgust. _

_He wondered if he would become a rumor. _

_That night Kurt used all the mouthwash, threw up his lunch and dinner, washed his teeth again and never went to sleep. When Mary woke up, the breakfast was ready to be served. It was like a Christmas morning with different kinds of eggs, bacon, toast, freshly squeezed juice, sliced fruit, sausages, crackers, bagels, you name it and it was probably on that tray. When Mary asked about it, Kurt shrugged and said: "I probably did something wrong last night." _

_He hoped he had. That would mean he wouldn't be asked to do it again. But his sleep was interrupted again two nights later. _

* * *

><p>"For a long time I thought God... that God was punishing me for thinking Sam was cute when I was still in McKinley. Like He was saying: so you like boys well here's a boy who likes you. And it was a scary thought because it made me think I wasn't worth more than that. Like I was never meant to be anything but someone's guilty..." A shaky breath. "...guilty pleasure. But at some point I figured out that there was no God to punish me. I was so surprised and confused when that scared me even more. Because that was when I realized no one could safe me from him. God couldn't think I'd been punished enough because He never started to punish me.<p>

"There was a time when I considered telling someone just so that Dave would make g-good of his promise..."

"...Kurt..."

They were both crying. Kurt felt like a knife was being pulled out of his chest, slowly and painfully. But he knew that everything, even breathing, would be easier when it was gone.

"Did he...?"

"No. _He_ never went as far as that. I don't think he would have known h-how," Kurt said.

* * *

><p>"<em>Stay still and this will be much easier for both of us." <em>

_The first thought Kurt's terrified mind could muster was 'he's cheating on his wife.' _

_And then pain he had never felt before filled his whole entire body. Every cell of his being screamed in protest._

_If his childhood hadn't ended when he was 10, it did now. _

_In, out. In, out. In, out. Kurt's happy place wasn't nearly happy enough. How some people found this pleasurable, he had no idea._

_He waited for the anger, the hatred. He wanted to get angry so that he would get strength to do what his body begged him to do and fight back. But it hurt so much it drowned every emotion, good and bad. His brain seemed to be disconnected from his spinal cord as he knew he wanted to kick but nothing happened. _

"_Why me?"_

_He had every right to think that. _

–

_Who would have thought simply being polite could make a person feel like they were choking? _

_Smiling felt like someone was using fishhooks to pull up the sides of his mouth. 'I'm sorry' tasted like acid in his mouth, 'thank you' was nearly impossible for him to say. _

_Kurt became a robot. He functioned with so little sleep it was a miracle he never cut off a finger while cooking nor did he ever fail to be on time. He waved away Mary's worried questions when it became evident he was losing weight, making up lies he knew she didn't buy. _

_He never knew beforehand who would wake him. He didn't know if they knew about each other either. Somehow he doubted either one was very eager to share but how could it be possible that they never ran into each other? The house wasn't that big. _

_Burt's arms were safe. Kurt was happy he still knew that, after everything. His biggest fear was that he would forget that his dad wouldn't hurt him, that the arms around him weren't trapping him. He lived for those hours with Burt, and used every moment with him making up for the time McKinley had stolen from them._

"_I miss Mommy..." _

"_I know you do, buddy. I miss her, too." _

_Kurt's cheek was against Burt's shoulder. "Do you believe in angels?"_

_Burt didn't answer right away. "I believe... that she is with us. Everywhere. All the time." _

"_I... I can barely remember her voice. Sometimes, when I really focus, I can hear her singing one of her lullabies. But other times I just can't remember and I try and try but nothing. And she sang so beautifully..." _

"_I know, I know. You were so young and it's not fair."_

"_Nothing is fair anymore." _

_Burt held his son who was nearly crying but not quite. Kurt knew he had noticed the change in him but only offered him almost insignificant bits of the truth. He was ashamed and young and scared. _

"_Why don't you sing?" _

"_What?" _

"_Why don't you sing something she used to sing? Might help you remember a little better." _

_Kurt thought for a moment but suddenly the words just came out of him. Somewhere in the back of his mind he had wanted to do this for a long time. _

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
>Take these broken wings and learn to fly<br>All your life  
>Your were only waiting for this moment to arise."<p>

_It became his bedtime song. Some people prayed, he sang._

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
>Take these sunken eyes and learn to see<br>All your life  
>You were only waiting for this moment to be free<p>

Blackbird fly..."

_The night his singing was cut off was the night he snapped. _

"_Help! Please, someone, HELP!"_

"_Fighting back, are you?" _

_The cold, pure hatred finally came and Kurt's body reacted to it by kicking, hitting and even biting. None of it changed what happened but the helpless, little Kurt was no longer there. He had been defeated and broken and he doubted he'd ever be the same again but damn it, he was better than this. _

"_Stop, stop, stop, stop! I hate you! I HATE YOU! STOP! HELP!" _

_He didn't stop screaming because he lost hope or because he thought fighting was useless. He stopped screaming when his voice gave up. _

"_Help..."_

* * *

><p>"I saw my dad for the last time a couple of days after that."<p>

Mrs. Karofsky had indeed heard Kurt. She had been shocked and hurt but too proud to admit anything like that had ever happened in her house. The core of the problem was Kurt and getting rid of the slave meant getting rid of the problem.

"So I was sent back to McKinley. For the first year I was back there I barely spoke. I became an easy target for the bigger kids."

"Oh, don't tell me..."

"Trust me, it was a haven compared to where I had been. And things got so much better when Mr. Schue started the Glee club. It was like I could finally open up without having to spill everything."

Kurt simply didn't have any more tears to cry. The knife was out.

Blaine leaned forward, slowly and hesitatingly. "Can... Can I?" he asked in whisper.

He asked for a permission... Kurt fell in love all over again. "Of course."

The kiss was soft, sweet, simple, comforting.

"Kurt, I promise you, I will spend every moment of my life trying to be as much as you deserve. It's a lot and I might fail sometimes but I promise, I'll try."

Kurt blinked. "Blaine, what...? What are you talking about, you already are way more than what I deserve!"

"But Kurt..."

"No, listen to me! You asked for my name. You skipped school because you wanted to take me to see my dad. You took me shopping for designer clothes! You... You want to change the world so that I can do that by myself, you stepped in front of a whip that was meant for me, you are willing to leave home to find my dad, you asked help from your friends knowing they might turn their backs on you! You sang me through that doctor's appointment which you payed for and... You told me you loved me. Blaine, there was a time when I was happy for getting an extra piece of cheese. You are NOT allowed to think you are anything less than what I deserve."

Kurt's tears might have dried but Blaine's were still running down his cheeks. "I feel like you pulled me out of a fog. Like before I met you my life was just a shadow of one. I know it sounds stupid and..."

"I doesn't," Kurt said.

"Okay, well... Anyway. I didn't really have a purpose before you came. I was just another rich boy who went to a private school, got good grades, was polite to everyone and completely blind to all that was wrong around him. And then you came along. You and your honesty and beauty and voice and... You. Oh God, I'm a walking-talking cliché..." Kurt let out a sound that was between a sob and chuckle. "But I mean every word. I can't believe anyone could ever hurt you like that. They took so much away from you."

"Yeah..." Kurt sighed. "Yeah, they did. Sometimes I wish I was a better and bigger person than that but I hate them for what they did to me. I do."

"Of course you do. It's only humane."

"I guess."

Looking at the black-haired boy in front of him Kurt hoped, wished... nearly prayed that his mind and body would one day let him trust Blaine the way his heart already did.

They were sitting on Blaine's bed. The door was locked and the house was quiet. It created an illusion that they were alone in there, just the two of them with no one to judge them nearby. It was a nice fantasy Kurt hoped could last longer.

"Tomorrow's Monday," he whispered when he saw what time it was.

"Do we have to care?"

"I think we do."

Blaine breathed out a hum. "You wanna stay here tonight?" Kurt hated the way his body reacted instantly by tensing his muscles. He was about to say something but Blaine silenced him with one more, softer than soft kiss. "I'm not going to push you. Don't push yourself. I'll see you in the morning."

He didn't sound at all disappointed.

Kurt didn't have nightmares that night.

* * *

><p><strong>Uh... <strong>

**Yeah. I'm out of words. **

**Hugs and butterfly kisses! Good night. **


	9. Chapter 9

**So I could tell you exactly what's going on and why I couldn't update until now but I am not one to write long author's notes about my life. I do feel like I owe you some kind of explanation, however, so I hope you understand when I say plumbing emergency and home insurance battles. **

**My dad took me in for now so the silver lining is: no rent. And I didn't lose anything too valuable. **

**Anyways. This is the shortest chapter yet and I started it, no joke, seven times. Every single one was totally different from the last. Then I finally gave up and wrote what I wanted to, not what I felt like I should. And I'm happy. **

**Hope you like it, too! **

**Stronger language than before!  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>The Escape<strong>

_Ms. Sylvester was not cruel. When the boy in front of her visibly tensed when she called him 'lady', she quickly decided that 'Porcelain works better anyway.'_

_Not that she really cared. _

_However, the thorn in her flesh, Mr. Hair-Product... Mr. Schuester, did care and it was nauseating._

"_I heard that you like French. You'll be glad to know that our French-volunteer lived in Paris for a couple of years..." _

_Yada, yada, yada..._

"_Poor guy, literally been through hell and back," Mr. Schuester said when Kurt left to find his room with Ms. Pillsbury, who he already knew. "He's lucky they sent him back." _

_Sylvester snorted. "I doubt he thinks of himself as lucky, William."_

* * *

><p>"You were so amazing tonight! Seriously, Blaine, I swear I almost cried, you were absolutely fantastic!" Kurt said as Blaine parked the car.<p>

"You're exaggerating," Blaine replied but he couldn't quite keep the pleased smile off his face.

"No, I'm not! I wasn't surprised at all that you guys won, I knew you would before your number was even over!"

"I did feel pretty good up there," Blaine admitted. "I wanted to make it count. It was my last performance with the Warblers for a while and, most importantly," he turned to look at Kurt. "...you were watching."

Kurt blushed scarlet. The fact that he looked so genuinely happy just made the night even better for Blaine. It had been a few weeks since he had seen a smile on Kurt's face that lit up his eyes.

"Well... I'm glad I could do my part," Kurt commented, his voice shy. Blaine chuckled. "But you know... I still don't get why you can't wear another blazer or something when you perform."

"Oh, don't try to fool me, my dear Kurt," Blaine said and leaned sideways on his seat so his face was a mere inch away from Kurt's. "You love the blazer."

"No, I don't," Kurt breathed out before Blaine pressed their lips together.

"Why?" Blaine asked but didn't give Kurt a chance to answer until a good twenty seconds later.

"It's dapper and all," the younger boy said. He was out of breath. "It's just not in fashion like... at all."

"Mm-hm. Why is that?" Blaine prompted. He loved when Kurt talked about fashion. He got so impossibly passionate about it.

"The colors are wrong."

"And?"

"It's not cut right."

"Right."

"It covers too much."

Blaine pulled away a little to see that Kurt's eyes had widened. Not so much with fear, however, more with surprise of the boldness of his answer.

His heart racing, Blaine took a hold of Kurt's hand. Then, slowly, giving the other one a chance to say no, he brought it to the button of his jacket. When Kurt frowned, Blaine said: "We are not gonna do anything. This is just one, tiny step and I want you to take it willingly."

Kurt blinked before lowering his eyes to the button. Blaine stayed still as Kurt played with it and finally opened it with one little move of his fingers. And then, quickly as if not giving himself time to hesitate, he took the blazer off Blaine and tossed it to the backseat. He let out a quiet breath but then his face broke into a grin. "They don't own me," he simply said.

"No one does," Blaine corrected, pulling Kurt forward for a hungry kiss. He felt Kurt's hand on his cheek, soft as ever, and let his own make a mess of his hair, something that would have been unforgivable in normal circumstances. 'I may have to wear a uniform most of the time but my hair can still look fabulous,' was how Kurt explained why touching his hair was a big no no.

"Your lips taste yummy."

"Sparkling cider," Blaine said breathlessly.

"Oh, right, don't you have to get to the party?"

"I'm fine celebrating right here."

"You're the lead singer."

"They'll manage a little longer without me," Blaine assured. He gave Kurt a kiss on the nose before connecting their lips again, making his... boyfriend... giggle. His own stomach jolted in a very weird way when he repeated the word 'boyfriend' to himself in his head again. They had exchanged I love yous but still, 'boyfriend' felt like a much bigger deal.

It so shouldn't be.

"Blaine..."

"Yes, love?"

"It's getting cold."

"Oh... Right, yeah. Let's go inside. We have to change for the party anyway."

"We?"

"Come on, did you really think I was going without you? Don't look so worried, Wes invited you. Now come on, I'm sure you want to take your time deciding what to wear."

Blaine smiled at the excited look on Kurt's face as they got out of the car. The December weather forced them to run up the stairs to escape the cold as quickly as possible. What waited inside, Blaine was not prepared for.

"What the HELL do you think you were doing?" Both boys froze at the sight of enraged Richard Anderson standing in the hall. "I couldn't care less what you do in the privacy of your bedroom but you do not, ever, do that with a slave in the public! Do you understand me?"

"We were in the car in front of our house! How is that public?" Blaine asked.

"What if we had had guests? Did you stop to think of that?" Richard's voice was poisonous.

"No, Dad, actually, I didn't. Because I love Kurt and I want to be able to show him that whenever and wherever I want to!" Blaine exploded.

"You don't love him. He's a slave, we bought him for you to fuck! You're a teenager and you love the sex. And his name is not Kurt!"

"Yes, it is! His mom named him Kurt when he was born so that is his name and that is what I am going to call him. And not that it is ANY of your business but we haven't had sex. I love _him. _Because he's brave and smart and gorgeous and a hundred times a man that you will ever be!"

He didn't see it coming. It happened so fast that Blaine barely registered the pain of his dad's fist hitting the corner of his eye. He stumbled backwards before losing his balance and hitting his head against the stone wall. For a split second the whole world was black but then he was suddenly being pulled up by the front of his shirt. He blinked to see his dad's face as close as Kurt's had been just mere five minutes ago.

"What are you gonna do?" he challenged quietly. "Kick me out? Disown me? Deny that I was ever born? I bet you want to. But you can't. It would raise suspicions. People would ask questions. Right?"

"True," Richard said. "Your slave, however, isn't so lucky to have anyone care about what happens to him."

_Huh...?  
><em>

"I'll take him back to McKinley myself. He'll be executed by the end of the week."

"NO!" With strength he hadn't known he had, Blaine pushed his father away from him. "He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Blaine Eric Anderson, you're already in more trouble than you could possibly imagine! You cause a scene now and I swear to God I will send you to a boarding school in Switzerland! This slave leaves tonight! I should have taken him back the moment Maria told me about your little plan!"

Blaine heard Kurt let out a gasp. He himself could only stare. "W-what?"

"That's right. You should be ashamed of yourself, a seven-year old was able to find out all that I needed to know. Now go upstairs or..."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"No! You're not, you can't... I am not a child! You don't get to tell me what to do!"

"You ungrateful little..."

Blaine had never hit anyone before. Not ever. But his mind was telling him that his dad stood in the way of them and the door and with the adrenaline that thought brought into Blaine's veins, he punched his dad square in the nose.

"Son of a bitch!"

"Kurt, run!"

* * *

><p>"Blaine, please, pull over!"<p>

"No, no, we have to get away, Kurt. As fast as we can, we have to go!"

"You're shaking, Blaine, please! Stop the car. Stop the car and breathe. We need to think."

"Kurt..."

"Stop. The. Car!"

Blaine's knuckles were white from holding the wheel so tightly but he managed to steer the car to the side of the road without crashing it. He heard Kurt let out a sigh of relief as he turned the engine off.

"We're so screwed."

Well. That was stating the obvious.

"Are you okay?" Kurt's hand was suddenly on Blaine's cheek, gently prompting him to turn to look at him. "That's gonna bruise," the younger boy said. His fingers were touching the corner of his eye, so softly it didn't hurt.

"I'm fine."

"You might have a concussion or something, maybe we should..."

"Let's just... Let's just sit for a while, okay? Just for a minute or two." Blaine sounded like he had just ran the marathon. His labored breathing was the only thing that broke the silence for the next few moments.

They both jumped when Blaine's phone rang.

"It's Wes," Kurt said when he took it out of the pocket of Blaine's blazer that was still in the backseat.

"Oh shit, the party..." Blaine mumbled, putting a hand on his face. He didn't move to take the phone from Kurt and the Harry Potter theme kept getting louder and louder.

"H-hello?"

Blaine turned his head when he heard Kurt answer the phone.

"Yeah, it is. – No, no, he's... Well, I don't know, actually. – I don't think we're coming. – Yeah, okay. He wants to talk to you."

"Put him on speaker." A second later he could hear a faint sound of laughter. "Hi, Wes."

"What does he mean, you're not coming? We won the Sectionals, dude!"

"I know, I'm sorry..."

"You both deserve a night off and to have some fun. We have alcohol! Come on, we miss..."

"We left."

"...What?"

"Dad knows. He was gonna take Kurt back to McKinley so... we ran."

The laughter became quieter so Blaine assumed Wes had gone somewhere more private. "But... the plan..."

"There is no plan anymore! We didn't even... Oh God, we have nothing except the clothes we have on and twenty bucks. He's gonna call the cops after us, I freaking hit him, I... Oh God..."

Where was the freaking handle?

Not a second too soon the door was suddenly opened and Blaine leaned out to throw up his dinner. He felt Kurt patting him on the shoulder and his thoughts miraculously cleared up as he got rid of the content of his stomach.

"What's going on? Blaine? Kurt, what happened, is he okay?"

"I'm freaking out, Wes, that's what I am," Blaine answered before Kurt could. "Less than an hour ago I was making out with my boyfriend in my car, now I'm running away from my own dad who was threatening to have him killed! So I am freaking out and I'm pissed off!"

"Alright, alright, alright. Okay. Come here. I'll tell everyone to take he party to Thad's. He has a indoor pool, no one will mind. Let Kurt drive and come here. We'll figure something out, okay? Blaine?"

"Okay."

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

Blaine grunted out his response before shutting the phone and breathing in the increasingly cold air. Kurt's hand was still on his shoulder.

"You heard him."

"What?"

"Move. Let me drive."

Blaine didn't argue. He shivered when the wind made his way into his shirt and half-ran to the other side of the car. "How are you so calm?" he asked when Kurt turned car back on the road.

"You need me to be."

"Kurt..."

"This is not the worst thing that ever happened to me. You, however, just ran away from home. It's okay for you to be scared, I'd be worried if you weren't. And I'll be the strong one for now, for as long as you need me to be. Boyfriend."

Kurt was the _**one. **_

* * *

><p>"<em>Don't TOUCH me!" <em>

"_Whoa! We got ourselves a feisty one," a big black boy with a irritating voice said mockingly. "You know, the word on the street is that you were sent back because you like boys. Is that true, fairy?" Kurt didn't answer. "You know what, doesn't matter. You're still the new kid. And you need to be put to your place. Because we rule this place." _

"_Mark my words, you will work for me one day," Kurt said, his eyes on fire. The five humongous boys that had him surrounded all laughed as they took a hold of his arms and legs and tossed him to the dumpster. _

_It took forever to get rid of the smell of rotten food._

* * *

><p><strong>I will try to update faster and I WILL update Something Borrowed soon, too. I PROMISE!<strong>

**Adios, amigos!**_  
><em>


	10. Chapter 10

**Here it is, chapter 10! **

**I decided I wanted to calm things down before the world-changing starts. So nothing major happens in this chapter, it might even be a little boring but that's just how it has to be. **

**Thank you soooooo much to everyone who reviewed, especially those who said it was one of or even the best chapter because I honestly didn't know what to think of it when I posted it. I NEVER POST ANYTHING I DON'T LIKE MYSELF, I don't think it's right for anyone but I just thought I might be moving too fast. **

**Hence, this chapter. **

**Hope you like it!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Calm<strong>

"_You know, you should really talk more. I mean, I understand if you don't want to but you look like you have a lot to say. I'm sure you could even shut Rachel up. And you'd be doing us a huge favor if you managed that." _

_Kurt smiled a little as he poked his food around his plate. The gorgeous, black, divaish girl from Glee club had been attached to his side since the first meeting. He was surprised to realize that he didn't even mind. _

"_By the way, how is it that you make this hideous shirt look like something out of a magazine? Did you smuggle in a sewing kit or something?" Mercedes asked. _

_Alright, so he was officially in love with this girl. You know, as in love as a gay guy can be in a straight gal. "I am a boy of many talents," he commented, surprising his companion. "As it turns out, double-sided tape is good for more than keeping dresses up." _

_It was the first light-hearted conversation Kurt had had in years. And he enjoyed every minute of it._

* * *

><p>Elizabeth Hummel had been the best mom in the world. She had been a nanny but Kurt had never, ever felt like he had to share his mommy with Lucy. She read Lucy stories but she sang to Kurt. She took Lucy to the park but she tucked Kurt in. She told Lucy she adored her but she told Kurt she loved him.<p>

"_Check for the monsters." _

"_Already did, baby. Close your eyes. Mommy loves you."_

Kurt thought his whole world had ended when his mother had died.

But no. Somehow, the world kept moving forward.

Burt started to attend Kurt's little tea-parties. He taught his son how to ride a bike and didn't say anything about the pink color. Okay, so the bike had been Lucy's which meant that yes, it was a girl's bike but Kurt had thought it was the amazing (which of course had nothing to do with the fact that it was only bike he had ever ridden or even seen) and Burt never argued. Back then, Kurt hadn't thought much about it. Perhaps his car-loving, horrible-shirt wearing dad liked the bike, too.

"_You're doing great, buddy! That's my boy!" _

And then the men-in-black had arrived. Kurt could remember when Burt had told him that they would and he remembered even better how he had cried, screamed, kicked and pushed because 'why, why, why would they do that' and 'why did Burt let them' and 'why didn't Lucy have to go, too?'

But he was a smart little kid. It didn't take too long for him to understand that this wasn't his dad's decision. The look on his face had told Kurt everything. So at some point he had ended up comforting his dad. And it hadn't even felt weird at the time.

There was no one to tuck him in at McKinley. All the kids around him were under 15 and none of the adults seemed to think they needed any TLC. Once, a girl had fallen off the swing set and broke her arm. No one had hugged her but two people had yelled at her for being clumsy. The only adult who seemed to think the children were more than just over-grown germs was the one with red hair and she was _so weird. _When Kurt had been sent to talk to her while he had had the flu, she had worn rubber cloves and covered her face with a mask. But despite her weirdness, she knew stuff. She knew how the system worked and she explained it to Kurt when he asked, even though she made him feel like he was five. And she had left stuff out, Kurt knew that now.

"_You'll see your dad again when it's possible. It's not right now but it will be. They won't keep you two apart."_

"_But I wanna see him now!" _

"_I have a pamphlet here that..." _

The system was faulted, it was unfair and it didn't care about people who didn't have money or social status. If he and Blaine were caught, Kurt would be sent to wait for his 18th birthday that would also become the day he died. Blaine would probably spend the next few years in a fancy-pants boarding school, somewhere far away.

So...

Kurt squeezed the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. He stared at the house in which he knew Blaine was. If his owner just went home, apologized and promised he would never fall for a slave again, he could probably stay in Ohio where all his friends lived. He could go to Harvard or Standford or Juilliard... but only if he went home. Without Kurt.

So Kurt should leave. He should steal the car and drive away. Blaine would never have to know if he was caught and brought in front of a judge. A judge who had received a request for him to be executed. No, it wouldn't happen 'by the end of the week' like Richard had said but it would happen. If it had been requested, it would happen.

Kurt was replaceable.

To the system. The system thought Kurt was replaceable. The system had thought Elizabeth Hummel was replaceable.

But the Fabrays never bought a new slave to be Lucy's nanny. Lucy hadn't thought Kurt's mother could be replaced by some other lady. She read the books by herself and went to the park with her friends. And she had given Kurt **the** pink bike.

"_I liked your mama." _

And Kurt was something special to Blaine. Something even more special than what his mother had been to Lucy. Blaine wouldn't just go home and beg for forgiveness if Kurt left now. He would look for Kurt, he would pray to God to bring him back and he'd blame himself...

Alone.

"_I didn't really have a purpose before you came."_

"Kurt?"

Kurt nearly screamed when the car door opened. His shoulders sagged and he took a deep breath to slow down his heart when he saw David.

"Sorry. But uh... Blaine's asking for you."

Oh, Kurt couldn't leave.

"_The weak don't make it in this world, Porcelain."_

–

"_Blow the candles out, looks like a solo tonight... I'm beginning to see the light.  
>Blow the candles out, looks like a solo.<em>.."

"My head won't turn off."

"._..think I'll be alright_."

"I... I know I have to sleep but I can't, my mind won't let me."

"_Been black and blue before, there's no need to explain.._."

"Kurt."

"I'm trying to sing you a lullaby."

"Is it possible? You know, to have a dad who doesn't care about your sexuality? Who accepts you as exactly who you are. Is it possible?"

For the first time since they had met each other, Kurt felt like the lucky one. "Yes. It is."

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand a little too tightly. "I couldn't let them kill you. I couldn't... I'm so sorry, I messed up, I screwed up... Kurt, I'm so sorry, you're too important to me, I'm sorry..."

"Shh..." Kurt whispered and he knew he was right where he belonged. "Don't be sorry, I'm not mad. It's gonna be okay. We're together, that's all that matters."

"But I screwed up, Kurt! If I knew more, if I had been more careful, we wouldn't be in this mess! We would still have time to plan and if I just..."

"No more ifs, Blaine. Trust me, I've gone through all possible ifs and shoulds during the last couple of hours but _if_ is not a magic word and it won't change anything. So shush. Okay? Just... shush." Kurt ran his fingers through the older teen's hair, freeing it from its gel-jail. His other hand was holding an icepack on Blaine's temple.

"We could use a little magic."

"Well... Have you been good this year? It _is _almost Christmas."

Kurt counted is a victory when Blaine actually chuckled. Before they knew it, they were both laughing so hard they were almost crying. It was more exhaustion mixed with overworking nerves than actual happiness but it lifted some of the weight from both of their shoulders. It felt good to laugh, if not a little inappropriate. It was like a band-aid to all the mental wounds that had been created that night.

"Oh God..." Blaine said, wiping the corner of his eye. "Just what the doctor ordered."

"Yeah," Kurt agreed. "And I personally think you will be on the 'good-kid' list this year."

"I ran away from home."

"To safe my life. Thank you for that, by the way. I don't think I said that."

"I did it for me as much as I did it for you," Blaine admitted. "I just can't believe he... And Maria. Oh, Maria..." He buried his face into the pillows. "She's seven. Seven and dad already has her in a leash. He's manipulating her. She could be so sweet but it's like she doesn't have a mind of her own anymore!"

Kurt didn't comment as he didn't know what to say. He had spent a few interesting, glitter-filled hours with Blaine's little sister and it was true that she had an aura of a little, spoiled princess around her. She didn't seem to want to cause any harm, she had just been raised to think she was better than everyone else and they should know that.

Which was really weird because...

"Can I say something that will sound absolutely horrible and wrong but I mean it in a good way?"

"Go ahead."

"I'm glad you didn't turn out like... she probably will." When Blaine didn't reply, Kurt continued: "I mean... She's your sister, I know, and you must love her, of course you do and it's not really her fault, is it? It's just, you were brought up in the same house, by the same people. How did you dodge the bullet?"

Blaine sighed. "She used to be sweet. Just like me, I was a super-sweet kid. All the older ladies in our neighborhood make sure to remind me of that every time they see me. And Maria... I guess I was so wrapped up in my own head that I didn't see the change. Oh God, maybe that was the change... After I went to Dalton I didn't have time for her anymore. She must have been so lonely, oh my...!"

"No, Blaine, no! Calm down, don't do this. Don't make it your fault. Don't. Just keep talking about how you were a sweet kid, okay?"

Kurt was pretty sure the circulation to his fingers had been cut off.

"I climbed to the apple tree on our backyard once. I wanted to make mom a pie for her birthday. All by myself, as a surprise so I didn't ask for help. And well, I thought she would think I was brave for climbing all the way to the top to get the best apples."

"You fell, didn't you?"

"...yeah. I wasn't really hurt that bad, I only managed to somehow cut my knee. But you know the shock that you're in when something like that happens?" Kurt nodded. "So I have no idea how long I sat there, just looking at the tree and wondering how many miles I had dropped. I waited for mom or dad to come but the one who ended up cleaning my fatal injury was Haley."

"Haley?"

"Yep. Put a Pikachu band-aid on it and told me she would be more than happy to help me with the pie _but _tell everyone that I made it all by myself. I was too young to understand anything else but that she was nice to me."

Well. That would make all the difference.

"I was furious when Dad told me you're coming. He wanted to make me straight and I thought it was so unfair to use anyone as tool to accomplish that. And I was so scared because I knew it wouldn't happen."

"Hmm..."

"But I never thought I'd fall in love with you."

"I didn't think I'd fall in love with you either."

"I don't even want to know what you thought of me before we met."

"You really don't."

"...I was kinda being sarcastic..."

"I wasn't."

Blaine moved so that he was leaning on his elbows. He didn't protest when Kurt wiped his gelly fingers on his shirt. "You thought I was gonna be another Dave."

Kurt took a breath before answering: "I honestly didn't think I was ever going to be bought again. I had nothing going for me. I was gay, looked like freaking doll and sounded like a girl. The only thing Ms. Sylvester counted as a positive thing on my chart was that I could cook. And a lot of slaves can cook." After a short silence he decided to add: "She made me one of her favorites because she didn't want me to be the first slave she'd have to sell to a pimp. When I was bought _because _I was gay, she knew what your father wanted of me. And she was so disappointed. She would never show it to a client but she was."

"I never..."

"I know. But it was still why your dad wanted me."

Blaine didn't argue with that and Kurt was grateful. The edges of his thoughts were fogging and he could feel how his eyes tried to shut. His body was telling his mind it was time to let everything sink in and let tomorrow worry about itself.

But it was a minute past midnight and tomorrow didn't want to wait.

The door burst open. Blaine, who obviously thought it was Wes or David, opened his mouth but stopped when he saw the intruder.

Kurt's jaw dropped.

"Dolphin!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Here." <em>

_Kurt frowned when the taller-than-normal boy from Glee, Finn, held out the sweater some other kids had thought would be fun to steal. He hadn't particularly missed it, it was... well... fugly... but it was also warm so he took it with a small smile. "Thanks." _

"_No problem." Finn put his hands in his pockets, clearly not sure if he should just leave or say something else. Kurt waited, not really caring either way. "Uh... What those guys do to you... It's not cool. I can talk to them if you want to. And Puck... He's starting to warm up about everything. So just... hang in there?" _

"_O...kay?" Kurt said. He could see Finn was honestly trying to be nice so he let the 'hang-in-there' -advice fly. _

"_And hey. I thought the song you sang was pretty cool. Defying Vanity..."_

"_Gravity," Kurt corrected automatically._

"_Right. Anyway, I had no idea guys could sing like that. So, really. Nice job." _

_Kurt could feel himself blushing so he looked down to his shoes. His ugly, ugly shoes. _

"_I'll see in you Glee!"_

"_Right. Okay." _

_Mercedes and Finn. He could make it here. _

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you like cliff-hangers! <strong>

**So ch.11 will include some epic planning and ch.12 will take us to... dun dun dun.**

**Did you really think i was gonna spoil my own story? **

***wink* **

**Thank you for reading, I'll see you next time! Adios for now!  
><strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**School has begun. **

**That's all I can say. **

**I am tired allll the time... I have to get used to this new rhythm of life and it's going to take a little while. But I am getting there. I promise. **

**Hope you like this!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. **

* * *

><p><strong>Beginning<strong>

_They were encouraged not to fall in love. _

_But for crying out loud, they were teenagers! _

_People were kissing all around him. Boys and girls who hadn't completely lost their hope of better future. Some even dared to mention marriage, kids and keep a straight face. _

_Kurt couldn't understand. Didn't they know?_

* * *

><p><strong>"...leave Artie..."<strong>

Philadelphia...

Huh.

In most of Blaine's nice and sunny dreams, he and Kurt were walking hand in hand down the 5th Avenue in New York. This is new. And weird because as far as Blaine could remember, he had never been to Philadelphia.

He makes a mental note to check if there really was a pink, elephant shaped building in the middle of the city center.

**"We miss you."**

Uh... Why was the blond girl who had barged into their room sitting in his boyfriend's...?

No, wait. Oh! Wow, they are on top of the elephant. And Kurt's smile is so pretty, he's so excited, yes, this is just like Moulin Rouge.

The elephant was pink in Moulin Rouge, wasn't it?

Oh well, the color doesn't really matter. It is still an elephant, that is the only thing that seems to be important to Kurt who is singing Your Song from the top of his lungs. Some people turn to look. They are not happy. How could they not be happy, Kurt has a beautiful voice, how could anyone not like it?

**"What? !"**

What, what...? Kurt...?

_"Kurt!"_

Kurt is crying. He's in pain. People are still looking at them but no one is trying to help. Blaine feels helpless as the collar around Kurt's neck burns red, choking the boy he loves, so, so much. He screams, he tries to move but Maria is holding onto his wrist, keeping him in place. She is whispering something under her breath but Blaine doesn't care, he just wants to rip that god-damn piece of leather to pieces.

And there's his dad, beside Kurt, saying he's worthless and deserves to die and that Blaine doesn't really love him. None of it is true and Blaine yells this to Kurt, begs him not to believe any of it but Kurt doesn't hear him. He's in too much pain, he's dying and crying and Blaine knows now why this dream isn't located in New York.

Dream. Nightmare. He could wake up!

_"NO!" _

Mr. Anderson pushes now limp Kurt off the elephant. Maria lets go of Blaine who reaches the edge just in time to see the people on the street attack the already dead boy, ripping his clothes off, laughing. A desperate, cold feeling goes through Blaine and he doesn't think when he takes a step forward. In just a second, he'll feel the cold pavement underneath...

...or a 100 dollar goose feather pillow.

Blaine opened his eyes to see Kurt sitting in the armchair in the corner of the room, alone. It took a few seconds for his heart rate to slow down as he convinced himself that this right here was the real world and not the one where he had just killed himself. And where his dad had killed Kurt...

"...Kurt?"

_Come here, come here, come here..._

Kurt's movements were slow as he got up and walked to the bed. Blaine moved so that Kurt could cuddle close to him and somewhere in the back of him mind he realized this would be the first time they slept in the same bed. But when Kurt buried his head into his chest, letting out a long and shaky breath, everything else became insignificant.

"Blaine, we have to…"

"Let's talk in the morning, okay? Just… Just stay right there, don't move."

Kurt's arm sneaked around Blaine's waist and squeezed. In the total silence of the room, every little sound was loud and Blaine could hear the quiet sniffs that Kurt was obviously trying to hide.

Blaine frowned. "Are you crying?"

"No." A lie. "Are you?"

And that's when Blaine realized that yes, yes he was.

* * *

><p>"No."<p>

"Blaine..."

"I said no, Kurt."

"We can't hide here forever!"

"We can for now."

"This is bigger than us, Blaine! They are going to kill my friend and if there's anything I can..."

"They will to kill _you_ if we get caught!"

"I have to try!"

"It's too dangerous!"

"He's innocent, Blaine! Stupid, yes, but he doesn't deserve to die!"

"How do you know he's innocent, huh? Do you have any proof?"

"As a matter of fact..."

"How do you know that girl didn't go through the same as you?"

Oh, he had crossed the line.

"You did not just say that."

"How do you know, Kurt?" Because if they were really going to do this, that damn boy better be as innocent as a kitten.

"Puck did not rape her." Kurt's voice was low, he was definitely pissed. "He's an idiot and his brain is down there and he acts tough and mighty but he has a big heart and he would not do that. And as for the proof, the girl's parents kicked her out. She was sent away to have the baby and now, according to Brittany, she in McKinley. Waiting to be sold. They call her Quinn." Kurt took a deep breath. "She's not just an unfortunate victim. If she was, she could have stayed home."

"But what in the world do you think you can do?" Blaine asked. Neither of them had slept enough and when Kurt had announced that they had to go talk to Sue Sylvester, Blaine's brain had all but tilted. "Our faces are probably in the local news by now. It'll be a miracle if we make it to the end of the street."

"Oh, don't exaggerate."

"I'm not! Kurt, I'm sorry about your friend, okay? And I'm sorry about what I said about him but we have to be rational. Things have changed and we can't rush into anything right now. We need to plan our next move carefully."

Kurt was still angry but his eyes were just a little bit softer when he said: "I don't think we have time to be careful." Blaine blinked. "I'm serious; we can't stay here for too long. It's only a matter of time that the police will come interrogate Wes and David. Hell, I'm surprised they are not already here!"

That was true. But right now, the guest room felt like the safest place on Earth. And Blaine wasn't ready to leave the safest place on Earth. He just wanted to lie in bed with Kurt in his arms and dream about... New York and family and red vines...

Oh God, he really was tired.

"Blaine, please. Please, he's a friend. I know it's a gamble but right now Sue Sylvester is the only person who might be able to help. Him and us. And I... I won't be able to live with myself if I did nothing when I know I could have."

"Would he do the same for you?"

"I'd like to believe that he would."

Blaine sighed, putting a hand over his eyes as he tried to straighten his thoughts. A headache was forming in the back of his head. "And what if she won't help us? What if she turns us in?"

Kurt didn't answer for a while. When he did, his voice was quiet. "Then I guess we're kind of screwed." Blaine opened his mouth. "But we won't know if we don't try. Besides, they can't do anything... final... until I'm 18. So I'll be counting on you to set things straight before that."

"If that's your attempt to lighten the mood then I'm sorry but it sucks."

"It wasn't."

He was serious?

"So much could go wrong." There was a desperate edge to Blaine's tone. He knew he had lost this argument, hell, he knew he had never even had a chance. That didn't mean he had to like it, though.

"But think what we might accomplish!"

"...might."

"She's the most powerful woman in Ohio, I have no doubt about that. If we can convince her to help us then sky is the limit. She has contacts and sponsors and people just so scared of her that they'll do anything she asks. And those people have a lot of money. Blaine… If we succeed, just think what will follow! This could be the first move we make to change the world. That's the goal, right?" Kurt sounded so hopeful. "Please."

Blaine shook his head. "It's still not a good idea."

"Yes, it is."

"Kurt…"

"Blaine. I love you. But I'm going to do this with or without your help."

"I know."

They were silent for a few minutes, Kurt towering over Blaine who was sitting on the bed. They were still in the clothes they had arrived in last night, Blaine knew his hair was a total mess and that he needed to shave and Kurt's shirt was wrinkled in a way that would be unacceptable in a normal situation. His hands were on his hips and to an outsider he might have resembled a mom disciplining her son. On any other day this scenario would have made Blaine laugh.

Not today.

"Wes's parents come home tomorrow afternoon. We probably should be out of the house by then."

Kurt's shoulders sagged in relief as he bent down to put his arms around Blaine's neck. Blaine pulled him closer so that he was pretty much forced to sit on his lap and just like that the argument was forgotten.

"Thank you. Again."

"Don't thank me yet."

There were only two ways this could end.

* * *

><p>"You're leaving?"<p>

"It's okay, Brit…"

A cat nanny… That's what the blond slave girl Kurt called Brittany and Wes called Heather had introduced herself as. Kurt had explained that the poor girl wasn't the smartest one in the world but she was a genius when it came to cats and Wes's mom owned four of them. So in the end, her official title was indeed 'a cat nanny.'

Blaine gave the two friends some privacy as they said goodbye. Before leaving the room Blaine heard Kurt promise that he'd give someone called Lord Tubbington a long talk about the dangers of smoking. Thinking this so called Lord was just one of the members of their Glee club, Blaine went downstairs where Wes and David were waiting, looking almost as anxious as he felt.

"You guys are crazy. Out of your minds. Stupid," Wes let Blaine know when he reached them.

"Why, thank you, Wes, that's reassuring."

"You don't have to do this!" the Asian insisted and David nodded in agreement.

"We have to do something." Blaine knew that his voice betrayed just how unsure he was himself. He put on a brave face and a small smile that didn't reach his eyes and did nothing to reassure the two older Warblers. He turned around just when David was about to say something when he heard Kurt coming down the stairs. Brittany was hanging onto his arm, her red and white uniform making her look like a cheerleader. "Ready?" he asked and hoped he sounded calm and collected.

"Just a second," Kurt replied. "Brit. Brit, sweetie, you gotta let go now."

"You promise you'll find Lord Tubbington?"

"I promise."

"He likes to hide in the trashcans behind the kitchen. He only eats human food and may refuse to talk at first but just tell him I sent you. He has a fake ID so take any cigarettes you find from him."

"I'll make sure to do that," Kurt said as if everything Brittany had just said made perfect sense to him. Blaine glanced at Wes who was looking at his family's new slave with a deep, disbelieving frown on his face. "Anything else you want me to tell anyone?"

"Just tell them not to worry because my letter for Santa is ready and I asked to see them all again. I've been a really good girl."

Kurt smiled. It was a nice, genuine smile, and the tension in the room lifted a little bit. "Okay. I'll tell them." He pulled the girl into a hug. "Bye for now."

"For now. Oh, and tell Santana I love her so much and that it's okay to be Lebanese."

"I had no idea you knew her," Wes said as soon as they were in his car. For obvious reasons, they couldn't take Blaine's.

"I know, don't worry. Just take good care of her," Kurt answered. He was squeezing Blaine's hand rather hard.

The rest of the drive was quiet. David changed the radio station every time he didn't like the song that was on, every now and then complaining about America's taste in music. Wes drove a little slower than what the speed limit allowed but only grunted that it was his car when Blaine pointed this out.

All too soon, the car pulled over.

"Last chance."

Wes and David had turned around on their seats. Blaine looked from them to his and Kurt's laced fingers and then back again, begging for them to understand. David merely nodded but Wes closed his eyes, his hand gripping the emergency break.

"Oh, damn it all to hell…"

"Wes…?"

Wes didn't reply as he got out of the car and yanked the door on Blaine's side open. "Get out," he ordered.

"What are you…?"

"Get out!"

Blaine didn't even notice Kurt had let go of his hand before the younger boy pushed him gently towards the head Warbler. Blaine wasn't quite sure why his boyfriend was willing to let Wes shake the breath out of him. It took him a couple of foggy seconds to realize that he had been forced out and was now in a tightest hug he had ever received.

"Jesus with you, Blaine…" Wes mumbled into his shoulder. "Seriously."

"I…"

"Just stay safe, alright? Both of you. And you're still crazy."

Blaine swallowed against the lump in his throat but a smile tugged the corner of his mouth when they pulled apart. David had gotten out of the car, too, and wordlessly handed Blaine an envelope.

"What's this, a farewell ca…? Oh my God!"

"What?" Kurt asked, peeking over Blaine's shoulder. "Holy mother of… You guys, we can't…"

"How far do you think you'll get with that 20 dollars you have?" David asked. "Consider this to be our contribution to your little mission."

"You've done more than enough," Blaine said. "There's at least 2000 dollars in here!"

"2235," Wes corrected. "We are not taking it back," he added when Blaine opened his mouth.

"But…"

"No buts, Blaine," David said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Just don't expect Christmas presents for the next 30 years."

"But… we… this… guys, 2000…"

"Don't be strangers," Wes said, cutting Blaine off. "You have to go. It's ten to four."

Blaine held the envelope in front of him, staring at it like it was the 8th Harry Potter book. When his brain finally came up with a coherent thought, he tore his eyes away from it to see his best friends in the whole wide world smiling at him like they knew he needed them to. This was hard enough as it was. "Thank you," he whispered, fighting back tears.

"Go," David said. His voice was choked. "Contact us when you get the chance. We'll be following the news."

"I…"

"We know."

Kurt took a small step forward to give each of the boys a quick hug. "You guys are amazing."

"We hope you find your dad," David replied sincerely. "Alright, you really have to go now."

"I know this sounds horrible but I'd appreciate it if you changed the world before Regionals. We need you to win it for us. Believe it or not but I have never been to New York," Wes said. To anyone else it might have sounded like he was serious.

Blaine chuckled. "We'll do our best." Not that they'd actually make it back by the competition but that wasn't something that had to be said out loud. The first step he took away from the car was the hardest one but he forced himself to move, knowing that each minute they fell behind the schedule they had planned would make everything more complicated. "I'm sure Jeff and Nick would sound wonderful together. You should give them a duet."

"Noted," Wes and David chorused.

After that it seemed that everything had been said because goodbye wasn't something any of them was willing or able to say. Blaine turned on his heels, Kurt's hand back in his and keeping his eyes on the school they were approaching, a gray and ominous building that was anything but welcoming. He told himself firmly not to look back.

If he had, he would have seen Wes crying his eyes out on David's shoulder.

* * *

><p>"<em>I hereby ban dating between two slaves in this school. If I find any of you worthless, hormone driven slime-balls so much as holding hands, I'll force you to play Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine which one I will send to Iowa."<em>

_Rachel sobbed in Finn's arms. _

_Mike had been bought a week earlier, sending Tina into such deep depression that Ms. Sylvester had been forced to take her off the market. She had been furious, blaming love of everything that was wrong with the world. _

_As bad as Kurt felt for his friends, in his opinion Sue was ultimately doing them a favor. Tina was a mess and he didn't want anyone else to end up like her. Considering how hard it was for him to say goodbye to Mike, he couldn't even imagine the pain the Asian girl had gone through or how difficult it would one day be to Rachel and Finn unless they tried to fall out of love. _

"_She can't send any of you to Iowa," Mr. Schuester said one day after Glee club rehearsal. "I'd be careful if I were you but I can assure you that some things are illegal even for her." _

_Kurt saw Sam take Mercedes's hand. Were they trying to get their hearts broken? _

_He'd never fall in love. Not ever._

* * *

><p><strong>Tada? <strong>

**What do you guys think? Will they safe Puck and find Burt? Will Kurt meet Quinn? **

**Who else has been bought while Kurt was away?**

**Find out in the next chapter!**

**Ha ha, I'm so failing at this xD**

**I'm sorry if you were looking forward to more Brittany. That was actually one of the reasons it took me this long to write this chapter. As soon as I had posted chapter 10, I realized I wouldn't be able to do her justice. So I kept trying again and again and finally told myself to stop and write this some other way and now I am finally satisfied. **

**Okay, until next time! **

**And...  
>Never Forget <strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**In addition to school, I also have a job now that pays well but takes a lot of time as the shifts are long and since I usually do night shifts, I'm not off until 10pm on most nights. **

**But hey, I got my apartment fixed! Let's just hope the water decides to stay in the pipes this time, yeah?**

**Anyways, sorry for the wait. **

**And of course, I have to say this: The first three episodes... Holy crap they made me happy. Season 1 was awesome and legendary, some of my favourite episodes come from season 2 but it seems to me like season 3 is going to be nothing short of EPIC! And the spoilers... Oh, the spoilers... As a HUGE Klainer, I am going NUTS! **

**But that's enough ranting. **

**A MILLION THANK YOUS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS, ALERTS AND FAVORITES! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or the song that I use**

* * *

><p><strong>Back-up<strong>_  
><em>

_"You can't be the only gay kid in here." _

_"Look, even if I wasn't, I'm not willing to get my heart broken, alright? __Just drop it. I'm fine." _

_"You are lonely, that's what you are." _

_"Lonely is not the worst thing someone can feel. Trust me." _

_"What happened to you to make you so bitter?" _

_Kurt shot Mercedes a look he hoped would tell her to shut up before he had to say it because it would not be said nicely. But it seemed that the self-proclaimed diva was not willing to stop now that she was on a roll. _

_"Finn has Rachel, Artie has Brittany, I have Sam and Santana has probably lost all of her innocence to Puck..." _

_"And Tina is happier than she has ever been, right?" _

_"You know what she told me? That she is happy she's in love with Mike and before you say anything yes, she still is. Because being in love is the happiest feeling in the world and while it might give you scars, the hurt is worth it." _

_"It's not." _

_"Kurt..." _

_"I have been hurt. I've been hurt enough. Physically, emotionally... I'd be crazy not to protect myself. I'm not made of iron." _

_Mercedes sighed. "You're going to find someone that will make you think othwewise." _

_"I doubt it." _

_"You are gorgeous, Kurt! And when you drop your guard you are the sweetest person in the world. And I know there is someone out there for you. There has to be."_

_"Leave me alone, 'Cedes. I don't... Just please, drop. it."_

* * *

><p>Kurt looked through the small window, his hand on the door handle. The sight in front of him was so familiar it nearly hurt and he could feel tears stinging in his eyes. Rachel was clearly explaining to the rest of the Glee club why exactly her talent was so superior. Finn looked like he knew he was supposed to side with her but actually agreed with Santana, who was rolling her eyes. She looked sort of out of place without her blond best friend and to Kurt it seemed she was a little paler and thinner than when he last saw her. Mercedes' expression suggested she was planning the slow, painful and secret death of Rachel and the rest had fallen into various types of coma due to boredom and frustration.<p>

"You okay?"

There was a slightly urgent tone to Blaine's voice and Kurt knew he was nervous about bending the visitation rules. They weren't _actually_ supposed to go to a class room without a guide.

"Yeah..." Kurt said, taking a deep breath. "This is just... so surreal."

Blaine didn't ask for a better explanation.

Kurt's hand shook as he squeezed the handle a little harder, willing himself to open the door. Any second someone could come around the corner and force them to leave. If things went really badly, they'd be asked to show their IDs and that's when they'd figure out they weren't Wesley Montgomery and his slave.

This was stupid. The choir room was where Kurt had been the happiest in McKinley, he shouldn't feel nervous now that he had a chance to visit it again. The people behind the door were his friends. His first friends ever. His only friends for a long time. Kurt could practically call them family. They hadn't judged him because of his sexuality and they had only thought of his voice as a unique addition to the choir. They wouldn't judge him now... Right?

"Blaine..."

"Hey. It's okay. I'm right here, whatever happens."

"It hasn't even been that long…" Kurt mumbled. "But it feels like it's been years. So much has changed!"

"But you're still the same Kurt, aren't you?"

"No, I'm most definitely not the same Kurt and I never want to be the Kurt I was before I left again," Kurt said. "Remind me one more time."

"You're doing this for Puck, your dad and all your friends."

Okay… Okay, he could do this.

"I love you."

Something warm went through Kurt when he felt Blaine a feathery light kiss on his neck. It spread to all parts of his body, from his toes to the fingers around the handle and suddenly he found himself pushing the door open.

"...really don't think it's your type of song."

"Mr. Schuester, I am offended. I think I have made it perfectly clear that I can sing pretty much..."

"Holy mother of sweet son of a Muppet!"

Kurt smiled nervously as Rachel stopped talking, her eyes going wide. There was a stunned silence in the room that went on until Kurt half-whispered a weak 'hi.'

And then everything exploded.

The first one to reach him was Finn, squeezing him so tight it was already hard for him to breathe without the rest of the club joining the hug. He could hear Mercedes repeating "I missed you so much" over and over again and Tina sobbing quietly onto his arm. Sam was admiring his uniform which was… slightly weird. He was torn between telling them he needed air and trying to put his arms around them all at the same time.

"Kurt... What are you doing here?"

Kurt frowned. Mr. Schuester didn't sound angry but something in his voice made it clear that coming back probably hadn't been the best idea Kurt had ever had. As his friends finally released him and he could see the teacher, what he could see on his face only confirmed what he had heard.

"We had to run," he said. He looked over his shoulder to where Blaine was standing; close enough to step in if Kurt wanted him to but far enough not to interrupt the reunion. Santana was the first one to react to his presence, looking at him up and down with her eyebrow cocked and snorted: "Wow, a real-life hobbit."

"Santana!" Rachel exclaimed. "You can't say things like that, he's clearly an owner!"

"What do you mean you had to run?" Mr. Schuester said, ignoring the two girls.

"We... We, uh... Well... The thing is that..." Kurt blushed, not really sure how to explain their little story.

"The thing is that I fell in love with Kurt and my dad has a problem with that."

Well... That was one way to do it.

"Wait, what?"

And they were on again. The questions and comments they all had were all directed at Kurt and of course it would have been too much effort to take turns in talking. Mr. Schuester tried to calm everyone down but whatever important he had to say didn't matter because the girls had to know 'how this was even possible' and the boys 'if Mr. Curly needed to be punched.'

It was the question directed at the owner that shut people up.

"You fell in love with your slave?"

Kurt blinked at the girl who had spoken. He didn't recognize her and hadn't noticed her before as she sat in the corner, her blond hair covering most of her beautiful face. Her eyes were fixed on Blaine, the look in her eyes unreadable. An aura of sadness just radiated from her, affecting the mood of the room now that the high of Kurt's surprise return had decreased.

"Quinn, please, don't turn this into..."

Ah. The infamous Quinn.

"You fell in love? With your slave?" Quinn repeated a little more forcefully.

"Yeah. I did." Blaine didn't seem faced or sound embarrassed at all. His hand found Kurt's and squeezed it.

Quinn tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "Well, fall out of it," she said simply. "Won't bring you anything but trouble."

Her voice was thick with tears she was holding back. Kurt knew because his voice was affected the same way far too often. Blaine's hand held his a little tighter and the silence returned to the room. This time it was uncomfortable and Kurt had to bite his tongue not to say something sassy and very Kurt-like to this girl. She was sad, that much was obvious, and he wasn't going to rub salt into open wounds.

There was something about her, though...

"Do I... know you?"

"No," Quinn replied immediately. "You don't. We've never met. I only came here a few months ago."

"I know, you just... look familiar. Are you sure we haven't...?"

"I told you, we've never met!" Quinn almost yelled. "And what do you mean, you know? Been watching the news? Yeah, I'm sure my whole story is out there for the world to laugh at, how I fell in love with MY slave and how everything went to hell from there." Oh wow, this girl was angry. "But I guess it's different for you, isn't it? You can have sex all you want without worrying about one of you ending up pregnant."

"Yeah, because that makes life so much easier for us," Kurt said sarcastically, his patience with the new girl wearing thin. "Look, I only came here because…"

"What _is _outside life like? Quinn won't tell us anything," Rachel suddenly said. "You're a teenager and you have a…" Rachel paused, trying to figure out what exactly to call Blaine.

"Boyfriend," Blaine helped.

"…a nice owner," Rachel decided and Kurt sighed. "Is it awesome? Are you allowed to sing?"

Kurt looked at each one of the club members, all except Quinn looking sincerely curious and there was no hint of jealousy in anyone's expression. He felt such an urge to lounge into a story of the shopping trip that had probably been when his feelings for Blaine started to become more serious. He wanted to share his feelings about how their first kiss happened in the – and he still couldn't quite believe it – laundry room of all places and he wanted to emphasize just how brave Blaine had been confronting his own father. The memories of the secret kisses behind the rose bushes filled Kurt's mind and he suddenly found himself wishing he could drag the girls to the nearest restroom and gossip and giggle and brag about the awesomeness of his boyfriend.

Because he knew his friends would be nothing but happy for him…

"Yeah, I'm allowed to sing. It's been… interesting. The life outside," Kurt finally settled to say. "A lot of things happened that I didn't expect to." Blaine's hand moved so that their fingers were now laced.

"And how exactly did this…" Finn gestured to their joined hands. "…happen?"

"It just did, I don't know! Am I supposed to be able to explain it?" Kurt said.

Of course, it didn't _just _happen but…

"He calls you Kurt," Artie observed.

"Yeah, he does…"

"Is he like awesomely rich?"

"What is his name, by the way?"

"Alright you guys, enough," Mr. Schuester said before Kurt could answer. "No, Rachel, be quiet," he added when Rachel opened her mouth to protest. "Kurt, are you aware that your face is all over the news?"

"I figured it would be," Kurt said, understanding his teacher's worry now. "We didn't exactly leave quietly."

"Well that is most certainly true as Mr. Anderson has promised 500 000 dollars to anyone who brings you to the authorities."

Finn's jaw dropped as if he had never even heard such a big number. "Dude, what did you _do_?"

"I…"

"He didn't do anything!" Blaine said and Kurt turned to look at him. His face had turned white and his grip of Kurt's hand was now painfully tight. "We haven't done anything wrong."

Blaine said it with confidence that somehow managed to overcome the obvious fear that was plain on his face and it made Kurt's heart swell in a way that made him want to kiss him right there and then. He settled on a little, grateful smile that he hoped would express what he wanted to say. Or do.

It seemed to work as the look in Blaine's eyes softened and a hint of pink returned to his cheeks. They were only allowed to stay in their blissful moment for a few seconds, though, as the roomful of people had not just magically disappeared.

"Kurt, if you're found here, you're going to be executed."

"I know," Kurt said. "I'd be another innocent victim. Just like Puck is going to be if no one stops them."

"Wait, you know about Puck?" Sam asked as Quinn's eyes flashed. "His name was never told in the media."

Kurt glanced at Santana and Artie before replying: "Brittany told me."

The reaction was instant. Artie jerked so violently at the mention of his… ex?... that he nearly fell off his chair while Santana took two steps forward to grab him by the arms. "You've seen her? Where is she, is she okay?"

"She's fine," Kurt said, a little freaked out by the wild, anxious look in Santana's eyes. "She's taking care of the cats of our friend's mom. She wants you to know it's perfectly okay to be Lebanese. Whatever that means…"

A choked chuckle came through Santana's lips and Kurt could swear she welled up as she let go of him. And it took a lot to make Santana Lopez to shed a tear.

"Look, you guys, I don't know the details but I know it's not right. He doesn't deserve what's coming to him and…"

"I knew I'd find you here."

Oh no.

The New Directions formed a perfect line from the shortest to the tallest. Even Kurt, who hadn't heard the voice of the director of McKinley in months, straightened his already near perfect posture.

"I'm disappointed in you, Porcelain. You underestimated me. I mean, did you honestly think you could sneak in here without me knowing?"

Kurt swallowed air. He reminded himself that the whole point of coming here was to get a chance to talk to Sue Sylvester but his heart still pounded like it wanted to come out of his chest as he turned around.

"You. All of you. Go to your rooms. Now."

It would have taken more than bravery to talk back to the terrifying woman but Kurt didn't miss the apologetic looks Finn and Mercedes sent him before exiting the room.

"Sue, you can't…"

"Shut it, William," Sue snapped, her eyes fixed on the two boys. Her ever-present bodyguards were beside her, both twice as big as her and still neither as scary-looking. In fact, Kurt had always thought the woman seemed almost kind. "Now I assume you didn't come here just to reunite with your precious, good for nothing friends."

"I didn't."

"You want my help."

"I do."

"Huh. Yeah, that would make sense. I am a rather influential person."

"Ms. Sylvester, you have to hear us out, we…"

"Grab 'em!"

"Wha…? No, wait, what are you…? Blaine!" The big, Asian man took Kurt by the elbows, forcing him to let go of Blaine's hand. "Let go of him!" he screamed at the woman whose hold Blaine was struggling against.

With one smooth move Kurt didn't quite register he was brought an inch away from Sue Sylvester's face. He could almost smell the smoke in her breath…

"Listen to me, you little Lady Face. I don't have to do anything and I most definitely don't have to hear you out. I have no idea what deluded you into thinking I'd have any interest in helping you, especially when I can gain 500 000 dollars just by turning you in. There is a lot I could so with that money. Human cannons are not cheap."

She couldn't do it, she wouldn't do it, she was above the law… They couldn't have come here just to get caught. The universe could not be this cruel.

"If you had just kept driving you could have gotten half way to Mexico before you would have been caught. Because in the end, yes, you would have been caught but at least you could have spent a few more days with your chivalrous owner over here." Blaine stopped struggling under the intense stare of Ms. Sylvester but Kurt was impressed that he could still keep the defiant look on his face. "However, as you were just plain stupid and came here, I am now forced to lock you up until the police get here. It is unfortunate that it is up to them what happens next because believe you me, my ideas would be much more imaginative."

It took a few seconds to Kurt realize he was being taken away but when he did, his mind decided that no. Not like this, it couldn't just end like this.

"NO!" he bellowed. "No, let go of me! BLAINE!"

"KURT! Don't, he hasn't done… You can't DO this! Ouch, no… No, please… please, you can't…!"

"Shut up, Rich Kid. Your parents will pick you up soon enough."

"But I – don't want – to…"

"You can't let them kill Puck!" Kurt yelled, fighting hard enough that the Asian actually struggled with him. "It's all wrong and I know you know it! We can't be treated like this, like it's bad to fall in love and have dreams! I know you care! You have to care or otherwise there would not be a Glee club in this place! If you didn't care you wouldn't have made me one of your favorites! I wouldn't have any idea who Patty LuPone is! Please! Don't do this."

"Just for that untrue statement I am going to keep you here for a day or two. I need someone to test a couple of new… devices on," Sylvester said, making Kurt's blood run cold.

"He's mine!" Blaine yelled desperately.

"You didn't pay for him, he was never truly _yours._"

"But he's… No. NO! Stop!" Blaine screamed when Kurt was being pulled out of the room.

"Blaine… Blaine, please…"

"No, no, no, NO! Let GO of me!"

Their eyes locked for a split second before the still nameless Asian got enough and lifted Kurt on his shoulder.

"Take him to isolation. I'll be there soon."

Kurt kicked. Kurt fought because, damn it, this wasn't how things were supposed to happen! But Ms. Sylvester's choice of bodyguards hadn't been random and no matter what and how loud he screamed into the man's ear, he was still taken closer and closer to the room no slave ever wanted to enter.

"Come back! BRING HIM BACK!"

Blaine's voice echoed in the empty hallway.

* * *

><p>"I had a dream… a wonderful dream, Papa…"<p>

_The handful of teenagers in front of him was an adoring crowd in a sold out theater. The floor was a stage, Mr. Schuester was the proud director of the play and the little group they called their band was a full orchestra with violins and cellos and trumpets._

"…give me a chance and I know I can work it  
>I had a dream, just as real as can be, Papa…"<p>

_He could dream. That's how he kept himself sane. _

_And he was good at this. He knew he could sing. No one, not anyone, could take that away from him. _

"Get yourself some new orchestrations  
>new routines and red velvet curtains<br>get a feathered hat for the baby  
>photographs in front of the theater…<p>

_Rachel put her head on Finn's shoulder and Kurt almost, almost, stumbled on the next note. _

"Oh, what a dream…"

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah...<strong>

**:)**

**Hope you liked it! Hugs and butterfly kisses and chocolate chip cookies.**

**(Oh, by the way! how many of you have seen Me and My Dick -a Starkid musical-. Because I watched it and laughed so hard I actually forgot to watch Modern Family. It was so freaking random that it was awesome and I think everyone should see it. So if you're old enough for YouTube to allow you watch it, go ahead if you haven't already!)**

**Did I just advertise? Oh well. TGIF! -now, seriously! Have to go to bed! see ya next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello! **

**First of all, and feel free to ignore this if you don't care about anything but this story, but those WHO READ SOMETHING BORROWED and are wondering if I have completely forgotten about that story. I have NOT. But my life is one hectic bubble right now and Yours is so much easier to write when I feel like I need an outlet for my anxiousness. Writing something as fun and bubbly as Something Borrowed is... simply pretty hard right now. But after next week, life will become a whole lot easier for me for a while and I do know what I want to write next to just bear with me, okay? I am so so so sorry about not updating it for SO long but I like I have said before, I do not want to publish anything I don't like myself. **

**Now, because I feel like I have to do this: Promo for 'First Time'? Anyone else feel like their brain turned into glue and Christmas came early? **

**And quite honestly, I didn't think I'd like Damian... But watching the episode I found myself giggling madly at his accent and awwing when the stupid bullies harassed him :( He is quite magical after all and I am happy. The Glee Project didn't air in Finland so I had no idea who everyone was talking about until I saw the sneak peeks of Pot O' Gold, which I also loved as an episode. GO BURT! **

**This chapter is a lot like chapter 8.**

**Disclaimer: I do now own Glee**

* * *

><p>"Why are you doing this? He's innocent, he's done nothing wrong!"<p>

Blaine knew he sounded like a broken records but he was desperate and scared and freaking out. He had stopped fighting against the woman holding his arm, knowing it was no use but as they followed Ms. Sylvester through the empty halls of McKinley, he seemed to be physically unable to shut his mouth. Somewhere in the back of his mind a voice was warning him about ticking the scary leader of this place off. The actual need, the pull his felt in heart, however, over-ruled rational thoughts.

"Please, _please, _let him go, let him run! Help him, you can't let them kill him! He doesn't deserve this!"

"You know what, rich kid, you are absolutely right."

Sue stopped and turned around so suddenly that Blaine and the woman almost bumped into her. The look in her eyes was fierce.

"This is 100% your fault."

Huh?

"You think Porcelain would have ever let his feelings for you be known if you hadn't made the first move? No. He would not have been allowed. He's still now allowed and your father knows that. But because you wanted to be with, he had to co-operate."

Blaine's heart was beating so fast it was painful. A horrible, itching feeling formed in his stomach, making him want to double over but somehow he knew that looking away from Sue's intence glare would not be wise.

"I am well aware of how twisted this society is, young Mr. Anderson. I have lived in it long enough and I am not blind. You, however, seem to be. It could be admireble, the way you are trying to help Hummel but the thing is, you yourself are the reason why he's in so much trouble now."

Oh, God...

"I... But... I thought..."

"Thinking doesn't get you anywhere in life. You have to _know," _Sue said. "I had high hopes for Porcelain. You were so dapper and charming and innocently confused when I dropped him off that you actually seemed a little alien-like to me and I figured you weren't man enough to actually use to for what your father bought him for. But I didn't think you'd do something even worse."

Now that made Blaine snap. "Even worse? You think love is worse than forcing him to have sex with me?"

"He wouldn't have fought back."

"I know that! I know that and it makes me sick! Everyone should be allowed to say no! What is wrong with me making Kurt feel like he's worth enough to be treated like a human?"

"The rest of the world doesn't see him as a human, Blaine." His name was said with such a tone it made Blaine shiver. "And the rest of the world will not think kindly of me if they come here and find him completely unharmed after he supposedly kidnapped the son of Mr. Anderson."

"What are you...?" Blaine stumbled when the woman bodyguards yanked him forward by his arm. While talking, Sue had opened a door to a room that looked like an abonded classroom. Blaine was pushed in so harshly he almost fell on his face but managed to get a hold of one of the desks and kept his footing.

"I actually don't want to do this," Ms. Sylvester said and that slight edge to her tone might have been regret. "But trust me, it's for the best."

For the best?

"Please... Don't... don't hurt him, he..."

"What I'm about to do is not nearly as bad as what most people would do. It's all about appearence in this industry, kid. I can't come off as if I let my slaves do whatever they please without getting punished. That is simply unacceptable. Lock him in."

Blaine felt his stomach turn upside down as Ms. Sylvester left the room as he knew exactly where she was headed. He automatically stepped forward, his mind completely empty of everything but Kurt, Kurt, Kurt, Kurt... but the bodyguard stopped and... gently?... pushed him to sit down.

"Not worth it," she said. She sounded apologetic.

"Kurt _is _worth it..." Blaine whispered.

"A lot of people seem to love him," the woman replied. Blaine opened his mouth but never got put his thoughts into words as the male bodyguard appeared to the doorway.

"Beiste." He sounded impatient.

"I know, I'm coming," Beiste sighed, patting Blaine on the shoulder before walking away. Just as she was about to shut the door, she suddenly said: "I really like cars. I've got six of them at home. Only use one of them for driving, the others I just... maintain."

Blaine frowned. What the hell...?

And then he was alone.

* * *

><p><em>"I'm sorry, Kurt." <em>

_"It's not your fault." _

_The drive back from Kurt's old home was mostly quiet. The radio played top 40 songs but for once Blaine didn't feel like singing along. _

_It was almost 9 am when Blaine turned the car back to the drive way. He was relieved to see that both of his parents had already left. _

_"Thanks for trying. It means a lot," Kurt said quietly. "I should go start the laundry." _

_"Wait," Blaine said before Kurt stepped out of the car. "Have the day off." _

_Kurt stared at him for a few seconds before sighing and shaking his head. "Have a good day at school, Master Blaine." _

_Blaine watched as Kurt, instead of entering the house through the main doors, turned to go to the back of the house where the kitchen entrence was. A bile formed in Blaine's throat but he was smart enough to know that a) Kurt probably wanted to be alone and b) the school would call his parents about his absence if he didn't show up for the second class._

_So he put the gear to reverse and stepped on the gas, his head wrapped around everything else but school. _

_The whole day went by in a blur. A few times Blaine actually thought about asking about slave rights from his teachers but decided against it at the last second, figuring it was best not to draw too much attention to himself. His friends noticed his anxiousness during Warbler meeting but when they asked about it or why he had been late, Blaine simply said it was a family thing. _

_That's what Kurt was, after all. _

_So when he came home to find a neatly folded pile of clean shirts on his bed, the bile in his throat grew so that for a second it was hard for Blaine to breathe. _

_"Kurt," Blaine called to the direction of Kurt's slightly open door. "I told you that you could have the day..." _

"...you'll think it's strange  
>As I try to explain how I feel..."<p>

_Blaine stopped talking. Kurt's voice was thick and it shook but it filled the whole room. _

"...after all that I've done.  
>You won't believe me, all you will see<br>Is the girl you once knew  
>Although she's dressed up to the nines<br>At sixes and sevens with you."

_This was the second time Blaine heard Kurt sing without Kurt knowing about it. He sank to his bed, closing his eyes, letting every bit of nervous energy leave his body. _

"...trying everything new  
>But nothing impressed me at all<br>I never expected it to.  
>Don't cry for me, Argentina<br>The truth is I never left y-you..."

_Blaine didn't miss the quiver in Kurt's voice but didn't make a move to go and comfort the boy. His cheeks felt hot and his eyes stung as he fought against this basic instinct, giving Kurt the privacy he most likely needed. It hurt slightly to know Kurt probably wouldn't sing if he knew Blaine was just in the other room and Blaine didn't want to ruin this moment for his friend. _

_Friend... His friend. Kurt, who made his heart do cartwheels and his mind melt. For reasons Blaine was yet to figure out. _

"I kept my promise  
>Don't keep your distance."<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Listen up you good-for-nothing teens with pathetic and unrealisic hopes and dreams of the future..." <em>

Blaine jumped three feet in the air when Sue's voice screeched through the speaker in the room.

_"I have told you many times before but I feel compelled to tell you again: Love won't bring you anything but trouble. But as it seems that you continuesly choose to ignore my warning, I have brought you proof. You have probably all missed our school's very own fairy and I am pleased to tell you that I have him right here with me and he's finally going to be useful. Shocking, isn't it?" _

Useful?

_"Kurt here went and fell in love." _

Blaine would never, ever, be able to forget the next moment. Even if, by some miracle, the two of them would be able to get out of here and live happily ever after, Kurt's high-pitched, terrified and painfilled scream would hunt his nightmares for the rest of his life.

And he had thought he would never go through anything worse than having to watch his own father whip his boyfriend's back to a bloody mess. But this was, this was so much worse. He had now idea what they were doing to Kurt and there was nothing he could do to help.

If there had ever been a time he had felt useless.

* * *

><p><em>"How is it possible that food actually tastes better when you eat it outdoors?" Blaine wondered out loud, picking up yet another strawberry of the huge pile and digging his teeth into it. It was slightly late in the year for a picnic but the bushes were still beautiful with red roses and the mid-day sun was warm enough for the two boys to be out in their t-shirts. <em>

_Blaine glanced at Kurt when the boy didn't answer. The younger one seemed to be deep in though, absentmindedly tearing little pieces off his bread and putting them in his mouth. He sat in a way that Blaine could only describe graceful, his posture perfect and legs in an angle that couldn't be too comfortable but kept his uniform pants from wrinkling. _

_With a sudden burst of inspiration and boldness, Blaine picked up a fallen rose that had lost a couple of its pedals but was still bright red and soft. Kurt jumped when Blaine's fingers touched his cheek as he put the rose behind Kurt's ear. _

_"A penny for your thoughts," he said._

_Kurt didn't reply right away. He brought his hand to touch the rose gently. He didn't take it off. "I'm not a girl." _

_It wasn't really clear if he was serious or teasing. "I know that," Blaine smiled. "It just seemed like a couply thing to do." _

_"Couply?" _

_"Yeah, I know it's not a word. Bear with me, I've never done this before." _

_Kurt blinked. "You... You haven't?" _

_"No. Did you think I have?" _

_Oh, Kurt was so freaking cute when he blushed. "You're not exactly bad looking," he said quietly. "And you've got so many friends and you go to an all boys' school where you have bunch of friends, most of who sing and dance. So... yeah, I kinda figured you'd... you know." _

_Blaine grinned. "You're not exactly bad looking either. In fact," he said, moving closer to the other boy. "I think you're gorgeous." _

_If Kurt's became any deeper he would start to resemble a cherry. "I'm nothing compared to y... mmpphhh..." _

_Blaine cut Kurt off by kissing him straight on the lips. The whole day, the picnic, the rose bushes and now the kiss, was such a cliche but it was a cliche Blaine wanted to experience and thought that Kurt deserved. _

_The sweet kiss turned into something slightly more heated when Kurt, almost hesitantly, opened his mouth. In his hormone driven energy Blaine almost automatically tried to move Kurt to lie down but the slave pushed him back ever so slightly, silently telling him no without ever breaking the kiss. _

* * *

><p>The screaming wouldn't stop. Blaine tried to yell over it, begging for someone to come and unlock the the door all the while knowing no one could hear him. And what exactly could anyone do if they did?<p>

But he had to try. He would never forgive himself anyway, how would he feel if he just sat there, listening the boy he loved scream his lungs out in sheer agony.

"Help!"

He needed to get out.

* * *

><p><em>"You're too wonderful to exist." <em>

_"What are you talking about?" _

_"You're such a dream come true. It's so sur... ah!" _

_"Sorry, sorry!" Blaine said, trying to be as gentle as possible as he cleaned Kurt's back. "I still think I should take you to the..." _

_"No." _

_"Kurt..." _

_"No!" _

_And Blaine dropped it, against his better judgement. _

_"I talked to Wes and David. They are gonna help us." Kurt didn't answer. "Kurt?" _

_"Are you sure about this? It's just me, you don't have to..." _

_"Hey," Blaine interrupted. "Don't talk like that. You're worth this, okay? And we'll find your dad." _

_Kurt sighed softly, turning around even though Blaine protested. "I can't believe how lucky I am." _

_"Lucky?" _

_"Yes. I'm the luckiest slave in the world. I'm the luckiest _boy _in the world. Blaine, seriously, I... Thank you." _

_Blaine's heart swelled._

* * *

><p><em>"You're going to be great," Kurt said confidently. "They are going to love you. You know why? Because you are awesome." <em>

_"I don't know why I'm so nervous. I'm usually never nervous..." _

_"Maybe it's a good thing. Your body knows this is not just another performance and is ready to give it all." _

_"Right now I feel like my body is about to give up..." _

_"Hey," Kurt said and Blaine felt his hands take a firm hold of his arms. "We both know this performance is special for a lot of reasons. But you're going to kill it because you love your friends and you'd never let them down. And you love it. You love being on the stage. Remember that and it's gonna be fine." Blaine couldn't help but smile. "What?" _

_"You've changed so much." When Kurt frowned he hurried to add. "I don't know how to explain it. But I think you know anyway." _

_"Yeah, well... I had a reason to. Now listen to me," Kurt said, looking around them to make sure they were still alone. "Go blow off some steam with your friends. Scream into a pillow or something and when it's time, you just do what you do best and you've got it in the bag. Okay?" _

_"...okay?" _

_Kurt smiled and Blaine realized it was the widest smile he had seen on Kurt's face in weeks. "You're so cute when you're like this." _

_"About to throw up?" _

_"And unsure. Although you don't have to be. I've got all the faith in the world for you. Now go before you miss the whole show." _

_It was the small, innocent kiss that Kurt gave him before joining the audience that kept Blaine sane until the Warblers were called on stage. To his immense surprise, all the nervousness seemed to leave him as soon as he opened his mouth. He relaxed and let himself smile while seeking for the familiar pale face in the crowd in front of him. _

_And when he found it, everything seemed to make just a little more sense. Especially the reason why he had insisted this was the Warblers should sing for Sectionals. _

_"I... Love... You..."_

_"I sincerly hope I don't have to remind any of you ever again." _

* * *

><p>Blaine was crying.<p>

It was stupid to cry, really, it wouldn't change the situation. But there was nothing else he could do. The door wouldn't budge, no one heard him and his parents were probably well on their way to pick him up and take him home.

Home where his bed was still unmade because he hadn't given Kurt the chance to make it on the day of the Sectionals. Making out had been much more important than a clean room.

Home where Kurt's room was still filled with the shopping bags from their latest trip to the mall. The plan that no longer existed had included proper winter clothes.

Home where he would probably spend about 24 hours before being shipped somewhere far away.

Home that no longer felt like one.

He'd never see Kurt again.

Blaine's legs gave up under him and he slid to the floor. He was clutching his serviceless phone in his hand, hoping against hope that his simple 'Help' message somehow managed to make it to Wes and David.

How young was too young to feel like his life no longer hand a purpose?

Dwelling in his desperate thoughts, Blaine didn't hear the faint sound of footsteps or someone's urgent whispers. He didn't even realize the door was open before someone kicked his shin. Quite hard.

"Come on, hobbit, you're too rich to be here."

* * *

><p><strong>I felt like there were enough flashbacks without adding Kurt's backstory into the mess. I'll make those extra long in the next one, okay?<strong>

**Alright now, I love myself enough to mention that I turn 21 on Saturday and as it is a national holiday here in Finland, every store is closed and every restaurant is fully booked which means I will spend the day at my mom's place where the freezer will be full of ice cream and the DVR full of Modern Family I have missed due to work. If you feel like this sad scenario is a reason enough for you to review, then please do so. **

**I am KIDDING, mom invited the whole freaking family over which means I can't watch the missed Modern Families until... very late. The freezer is full of ice cream, however, and no way anyone is allowed near my Ben&Jerry's!**

**I have rambled on quite enough. **

**See you next time, hope you liked it!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Uh... I should be writing a 10 page report. But yeah. **

**First Time? Oh Dear Lord in Heaven. No. Words.**

**Mash Off? LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOved it. **

**I Kissed a Girl? everything I hoped it would be. **

**This chapter? Hopefully makes up for the time you had to wait. **

**Disclaimer: I do now own Glee**

* * *

><p><strong>Pain<br>**

_"Who's crying?"_

_"Who do you think?" _

_None of them were allowed to see their parents. And Kurt knew for a fact he wasn't the only one who cried because he missed them. _

_Yet there was still no one he could talk to. _

_"Shut UP! The lights are out, if they hear you they're going to make us all run laps!" _

_"Leave him alone, he's being quiet enough." _

_"I know you have a soft spot for him, Hudson, but this is the third night in the row. Why can't he just man up?" _

_"This coming from a guy sang 'My Heart Will Go On' in the shower yesterday." _

_"Oh, you're gonna get it, Puckerman...!" _

_Kurt fell into restless sleep while the others were still bickering._

_He woke up when Puck screamed in his sleep._

_He woke up again when Finn got out of bed. He watched the tall boy pace for the rest of the night. _

_The room was never absolutely quiet. Everyone had nightmares, some worse than others, everyone had bad nights._

_No one said anything in the morning._

* * *

><p>"Kurt, I need you to move."<p>

Why?

He hurt _everywhere _and he was going to die soon anyway. Why couldn't he spend the last of his days in this corner, alone, dwelling in the memories that somehow dulled the pain for a few seconds at a time.

Mom...

Dad...

Blaine...

Oh God, Blaine.

Why had they come here? It had been such a stupid idea. And if they dared to touch Blaine, hurt him, it would be all Kurt's fault. After everything Blaine had done for him...

"Don't touch me!"

"I'm not going to hurt you! Dude, you know I wouldn't!"

But Kurt just hugged his knees tighter to his chest, trying to get air into his lungs. Even with his eyes closed the world felt like it was spinning.

Why couldn't they leave? Whoever they were, they were all talking, they were so loud and they were far too close.

"What did they do to him? He doesn't even seem to know who we are!"

"But we need to hurry up, if we are caught then that is it, we are all dead."

"Are you sure we can trust Beiste?"

"If we can trust anyone in this building, it's her."

Kurt put his hands on his ears, trying to block the voices.

He wanted Blaine.

With Blaine, Kurt felt like he could dream again. Just a few hours ago, Kurt had listened to Brittany ramble on about her fat-ass cat while entertaining the thought of him and Blaine owning a cat of their own one day. A cat and a small house. Where they would live together. And Blaine would love him and Kurt would love Blaine and they would love each other until the end of time.

These were the kind of dreams Kurt had never let himself dream of. He had dreamed of pineapple houses and cotton candy world but before he had met Blaine, Kurt hadn't allowed himself to even think he'd ever be loved.

He had sworn to himself he would never fall in love. It wasn't worth it.

But for once in his life, Kurt had been proven wrong. It was worth everything. Those months he had had with Blaine, he wouldn't trade them for anything. Not even for his life. Blaine had made him feel like a human again, like an equal, like a person who deserved respect.

So if they dared to hurt one _hair _in Blaine's head...

What? Wait, no!

"Let GO of me!"

His body was moving on autopilot as he yanked his arm away from whoever had taken a hold of it. He tried to move but he was trapped, the wall behind him not giving in. Panic began to cloud his mind as he knew there was no way for him to escape, they could do whatever they wanted with him...

"Kurt, I am only trying to help!"

"...it's no use, Finn, he's too far gone."

"Someone go tell Santana to hurry up..."

Was it really happening again? It couldn't be, could it? No, he was not there! He was hurting, he was alone, but he was _not _there and he wouldn't be ever again and he would fight back... why was someone touching him _again?_

"No... No, please... Leave..."

"Kurt."

Okay, so now he was losing his mind. Because that sounded a lot like...

"Kurt, baby, please open your eyes. I need you to look at me. I'm right here, just open your eyes."

Blaine.

Blaine, Blaine, Blaine...

"He... No, don't. Please, don't hurt him, I love him, please..."

"I love you, too, Kurt. And I'm _right _here. We're going to get out of here and you're going to be okay. I promise."

Slowly, bracing himself for disappointment, Kurt opened his eyes and looked up. Relief flooded through him when he saw Blaine kneeling down in front of him, his face the only clear thing in the otherwise blurry world.

"...am I dying?"

"No!" was the clear and firm answer. "No, you're not. You're absolutely fine. Because you're Kurt and you're so much stronger than this." Was he? "You're so brave and I love you. I will make this okay. This will not destroy you. I love you. I'm taking you away from here."

Yes, please do...

"You have to get up now. Okay? Nice and slow, there's no hurry..."

"Uh, actually... We _do_ have to hurry..."

"Be quiet!" Yelling... they were yelling again... "No, Kurt! Oh God, no, please, baby, it's okay. You're okay, don't cry! Everything is fine. But we have to leave. Right now."

Blaine's voice was like warm milk after day in the cold. It filled Kurt up, giving him strenght he was lacking, clearing his vision just enough so he could recognize the others in the room.

"Finn?"

"Um... yeah?"

"We... we came to safe Puck. And we didn't even... So stupid, I..."

Were they moving? Kurt wasn't quite sure.

"You, Kurt Hummel, are one of the best people in the world."

Kurt blinked. He knew it was Quinn who had spoken but now that her voice wasn't bitter and it was much softer, it sounded familiar.

"You're a much better person than me. What you two have, you deserve it and you should never let it go."

So familiar, so familiar...

"You dad loves you so much."

And then it hit him. "Lucy."

Yes, he thought when he finally saw the girl. She had lost weight, dyed her hair and done something to her nose but somewhere deep inside she was still the girl who had once given Kurt her old bike. Her eyes were full of regret but they were just as beautiful as Kurt remembered.

She smiled at him. She was older, _she was a mother, _and she had been taken away from everything she knew. So yes, she was bitter, just like the rest of them. And as genuine as the smile was, it still shined through.

"They took her away from me. My parents didn't let me decide. They gave her to a rich, single woman with whom she will grow up to be free. But she will never know. She will never know where she got her blonde hair or green eyes from. She won't know that I love her more than anything in the world or that I would have done anything to be able to offer her what she can. But you. You have to know that your dad never, ever forgot about you. He talked about you all the time. Even when you weren't there, you were still his whole world."

Red spots danced in front of Kurt's eyes as he tried to take that all in.

Dad.

Oh God, Kurt loved his dad so much, too.

Where did the floor go...?

"Kurt! No, no no no no no no no, don't do this to me! We're almost there! We're almost out of here, just a little... No, Kurt, NO!"

Kurt couldn't breathe.

Try as he might, he couldn't, his throat was closed up. He felt as if he was having a full on panic attack, except this was 100 times worse.

"What's happening to him? !"

"I... I don't know, this isn't normal!"

So many voices. So loud, so freaking loud...

There was a hand on his back. There was a hand on his cheek. There was a hand on his arm. There was hand on his shoulder. He felt them all, they were all too warm, all too close, all holding him...

"Kurt, listen to me. Listen to me, Kurt, you have to stay with me. Don't close your eyes, don't fall asleep. I know it hurts, God, I know and I'm so, so sorry but please..." Blaine's voice broke. "...I can't live without you, Kurt, please don't... You can't... I don't know what's happening, Kurt, you need to help me..."

Kurt would do anything for Blaine. Anything. He wanted to tell him that. He wanted to open his mouth and say those words but all of his energy was focused on trying to get oxygen in his system. He saw Blaine, knew that it was his hand on his cheek and damn it, he did not want to die here. Because Blaine _loved _him, Kurt could hear it in the way he said his freaking name. And he wanted to make Blaine as happy as he made him.

Whatever happened next happened too fast for Kurt to comprehend. One second he was looking at Blaine's desperate face and the next he felt like he was flying. For a second he thought that _oh God, he really had died and was on his way to whatever came after _but then the air around him became cold and it was slightly easier to breathe it in.

"...seen anyone react like this. Here, put this on him."

Was he lying down now? What the hell was going on?

Oh... oh, his lungs worked.

Hallelujah.

"Don't let him fall asleep. Not yet."

Yes, sleep. Sleep sounded good.

"Hey... Hey, no. Kurt."

"...hurts..."

Wherever he was, it was quiet and the only hand on him was Blaine's. It was going through his hair. It felt wonderful.

"I know. I can't believe..." Was Blaine crying? "But we are out of there now, Kurt. We are going some place safe. You can rest there."

"But Puck... Lucy..."

"We'll talk about that later. Right now we have to make sure you're okay."

Maybe he had been dead all along and Blaine was an angel?

"...hurt you?"

"No, they didn't."

"Good. That's good," Kurt breathed out, feeling the oblivion trying to take over. He wanted to let it, he was so tired and it still hurt so god damn much.

"Kurt, you remember when you helped me practise? A week ago? We were alone in the house and we could sing as loud as we wanted and not worry about anyone bothering us or seeing us or thinking it was weird?" Kurt nodded, frowning slightly. "That's what I want for us. I want that to be our future. I want to sing with you every day, tell you that I love you every day, wake up next to you every day. And we can have all that. We can. We are not defeated. This is not the end."

Blaine removed the thing helping Kurt breathe for a split second to place a small kiss on the corner of his mouth. Kurt tasted salt.

"So stay awake? Just a little while longer."

Kurt nodded again, wincing as he did so.

The weirdest thing was, he could not remember what had been done to him.

He had never been punished by Sue Sylvester. Some kids had been and yes, they had been shaken up afterwards but none had practically stopped breathing and nearly died.

Was he weak...?

Ms. Sylvester had taken him to the isolation room, the feared place that was the nightmare of anyone who suffered of claustrophobia of any level, had told him off for being stupid and that she expected better of him... He remembered being in pain like never before but other than that his memory was pretty much blank. She had been talking the whole time but Kurt either had not heard her or just hadn't registered what she had said.

And before he knew it he had been alone, left to wait for whatever was to come.

"...could design clothes for living. You'd be so good at it. Or you could become an actor. Or both. You have so much talent, I don't want any of it to be wasted."

Blaine. Amazing Blaine.

Blaine had come. Blaine had saved him.

Blaine was still there. Kurt had screwed up but Blaine was still there.

"And maybe we could have kids."

No.

"No."

"No?"

"Have to leave. No kids." The mask muffled his words but Blaine seemed to understand what he wanted to say.

"Oh but Kurt. When we have kids, there will no longer be slaves. Everyone will be free. Our children can be free."

That would be wonderful.

The smallest of smiles tugged the corner of Kurt's mouth.

"Keep him still, I will be right back."

Kurt didn't know who that was but he didn't care because Blaine was still right there in front of him and that was all that mattered. Blaine was smiling back at him, his hand still stroking his hair. "You can sleep soon," he whispered. "And when you wake up you will feel better."

"Stay with me?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

A sudden coldness surrounded them then and the ground seemed to dip. Kurt whined quietly as his body protested to every move.

"I'm going to lift you up a little, okay?"

No. No, not okay, pain pain pain...

"Njaaaahhh...!"

"I'm sorry! Oh god, Kurt, I'm sorry but I have to do this. Just a second, baby, I promise. Now open your mouth."

The world had been so weirdly perfect just a second ago, what was going on?

That hurt, who was grabbing his face? It wasn't Blaine, why did Blaine let someone...? What, no, stop!

"You're hurting him!"

"He has to drink this."

It was bitter and it burned his throat and he wanted to spit it out and god it hurt to sit! This was all against his will, they couldn't do this, why would they...?

And then every single feeling left his body. He blinked, completely numb, before collapsing against Blaine and passing out.

* * *

><p><em>This is not my room.<em>

That was the first thing that entered Kurt's mind when he took in his surroundings. The room was plain but clearly not a hospital room as it smelled mildly like... cologne? And oil? ...what?

Groaning, Kurt lifted himself up to lean against his elbows. He was wearing an unfamiliar shirt that was way too big for him and his collar had been taken off.

But those things didn't really matter because Kurt didn't even know where in the world he _was._

He removed the warmth that was the blanket and sat up. He could so easily panic right now but something told him that there was no need to, that he wasn't as alone as he appeared to be. He could hear sounds coming from somewhere near him. Someone was clearly cooking but what, Kurt had no idea. He didn't even know what time of the day it was.

The thing he wanted to know most, however, was where the hell Blaine was.

Oh, and he would also appreciate it if someone told him the location of the bathroom.

As if someone up there wanted to, for once, grant Kurt's wishes, the door opened. Blaine stepped in with his back first, pushing the door while balancing a tray in his hands. He was obviously trying to be quiet.

When he turned around to see Kurt looking at him with wide, questioning eyes, he nearly dropped the food.

"_Kurt!_"

Kurt had never heard his name being said like that before. He had never known one single word could hold so many emotions in it. But before he could think about it more, Blaine's arms were around his neck.

"You're awake!"

"...yeah? What... what happened? Where are we?"

Blaine sniffed as he pulled away slightly. "We are safe. This time we have more time to... to think. We don't have to rush."

Kurt frowned. "But what...? I mean... We went to McKinley and... she caught us. That's all I can remember."

"That's all you need to remember. Trust me. But it's okay now. We're both okay. You're... you're okay..."

Blaine choked back a sob. This made Kurt's insides twists. "How long was I out?"

"Almost 24 hours. Any longer and we would have taken you to the hospital," Blaine said. "Here, take a sip."

Kurt took the glass Blaine offered him, taking a careful sip of water. Nothing had ever tasted so good.

"I feel gross," he said after he settled the glass down. Blaine chuckled but Kurt was shocked to see a couple of tears fall down on his cheeks. "Blaine, what...? Why are you crying, I'm awake. I feel fine."

"I was so scared, Kurt. You were in so much pain and I couldn't... I couldn't do anything. And then you wouldn't wake up and no one knew what would happen. We've all been so worried."

"I... I'm sorry..."

"No! No, don't be, God, I didn't mean it like that. No, Kurt, it's just... The feeling of not-knowing? That was the worst part. But yeah, you're awake now. And... Kurt. There's someone who really wants to see you."

Kurt raised his eyebrows as Blaine leaned in kiss him softly. "Where are you going?" he asked when his boyfriend stood up.

"I'll be back in a second. Stay there."

Kurt opened his mouth to say something sarcastic but Blaine was already gone. Feeling a lot more relaxed now that he had seen Blaine and _knew _that he was close by, Kurt looked around the room a little more curiously. There was not much to see. There was a pile of auto-magazines on the nightstand next to the bed that Kurt now realized was actually a king-sized one. The sheets were nice enough, not scratchy at all and they matched the color of the curtains.

Kurt was just about to get up and examine the photos on the dresser opposite to the bed when the door opened again.

No. Way.

"D... Dad?"

"Hey, kid."

Kurt had never moved faster than he did then.

He had grown a lot more than just a few inches but he still fitted in his dad's embrace like he had when they had last seen each other. Burt still smelled the same, felt the same, sounded the same... He rubbed Kurt's back just like he had then, his hand rough from work but soothing and familiar.

"Dad... Daddy..."

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here."

Kurt buried his forehead into Burt's shoulder, squeezing him even more tightly than before to make sure this was not a dream.

His heart pounded with relief, disbelief, happiness, shock and everything in between. He had been waiting for this moment for so long, he had known exactly what he wanted to say, but he had never expected for it to happen like this, for it too be an absolute surprise. He hadn't had any time to prepare himself at all and his thoughts were so mixed up and tangled he couldn't come up with anything more to say than the obvious:

"I missed you."

"I missed you, too, Kurt. I missed you so much. I love you, buddy."

Burt sounded choked up and suddenly Kurt realized that Burt had been waiting for him to wake up, too. Overwhelmed with the feelings that rushed through him, Kurt let his tears fall.

"I love you, too, Dad," he said, his voice even higher than usually.

Yeah, those were the obvious things to say.

But in that moment nothing else needed to be said.

* * *

><p><em>It was with a sudden pang that Kurt realized he didn't know anything about anyones past.<em>

_And no one knew nothing about his. _

_They didn't talk about the time before each of the members of the Glee Club had been brought to McKinley. They discussed the present in great detail, gossiping and generally going through their near-identical days, and they sometimes dared to visit the topic of future..._

_...but the word past seemed to be almost a taboo._

* * *

><p><strong>So did you understand anything?<strong>

**This is not the end. **

**Love you all! **

**OH RIGHT! Never thought I'd say thing but yeah, I have a Tumblr now... shanehane . tumblr . com in case you want to see just how much I ship Klaine. :) **

**see you there?**_  
><em>


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay, uh... WOW! **

**Can I just take a moment to say that your reviews were a-MAZING! All of them, seriously. There were a couple that stood out but honestly, I don't think I've ever... **

**I'm going to stop talking now because I might start crying. **

**Too late, already am. **

***deep breath* **

**Nearly all of you hoped for a chapter that would make it more clear what happened in the last one. I've saved some for the future chapters but this is what I wrote for you guys now. **

**Thank you again!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. **

* * *

><p><strong>Pain - <strong>Blaine

_It didn't matter that Puck and Finn were part of their little Glee club, Kurt was still picked on by the people who liked to think of themselves as the leaders of their charming facility. His level of sarcasm and wit grew daily as he came up with new come backs to the insults that were thrown his way. _

_They were infuriated when nothing they said made him crack. _

_As if they would. There weren't words bad enough that Kurt hadn't worse. Nothing they did was worse than what he had already experienced. _

_"Hey, fairy! What's sex with men like?" _

_Kurt rolled his eyes. "Don't you remember?" (*_

_Mercedes and Rachel stopped and stared. Kurt kept walking. _

Bring it on_, he thought, pleased to see he had silenced whoever it was who had tried to insult him this time. _

* * *

><p>"Come on, hobbit, you're too rich to be here."<p>

Blaine looked up to see the attractive latina who had been eager to know news about Brittany. Santana? Yeah... She had been called Santana after she had basically told him he was the size of a midget.

"Well, get up! We don't have the whole day," Santana urged, her hands on her hips.

"But... wh...?"

"Look, we're already unable to help Puck and we'd be damned if we let the same happen to anyone else in our group. We need to get Kurt out of here. And from what we saw, he's not going to be happy if we leave you here to rot. We're risking a lot here so get up and co-operate."

Santana's irritated voice betrayed fondness. After a couple of more dumbfounded seconds, Blaine stood up, his brain finally catching up with what the girl was saying.

"You know where Kurt is?"

"Yeah. The others are already..."

"You could just leave," someone said from the doorway. Quinn, Blaine recognized. "The door's open, all you'd have to do is run and don't look back. You'd be free of him."

Blaine frowned. "I don't want to be 'free of him'. He's my everything and I'm not going anywhere without him."

"Your life would be easier."

"But not worth living."

Quinn blinked at that, obviously taken aback.

"Okay, yeah, very touching but we need to go. Now. Beiste is already waiting," Santana said, taking a surprisingly strong of Blaine's arm and started to pull him out of the room with her.

"Beiste?" Blaine asked. "You mean the...?"

"Bodyguard. Yes. Turns out she's a big old softie," Santana answered. "Clear?"

The asian girl whose name Blaine didn't believe he had heard appeared from behind the corner and gave them thumbs up. She smiled a little at Blaine when they reached her but didn't say anything. Blaine noticed she had used a sharpie to paint her nails black.

"Let GO of me!"

And that was as far as Blaine got with analyzing Tina. Without even realizing he didn't exactly know where he was going, Blaine took off running towards the voice that had made his blood run cold. His heart was thumping painfully in his chest as he tried to locate where he had heard the yell come from. So blinded by the anxiousness to find Kurt, he almost knocked over the tiny, brunette girl (...Rachel...? yeah...) who just then stepped out of one of the rooms.

"Oh... It's..."

"Is he in there?" Blaine asked, his usual, polite self buried somewhere pretty deep for the time being.

"Y-yeah..."

Blaine stepped in without bothering to hear out what she might have had to say. His eyes immediately landed on Kurt.

His heart shattered.

Kurt was sitting in the corner with his face buried in his knees, looking a little bit too much like he had after Blaine's dad's punishment. The other two boys in the room looked absolutely helpless and Blaine couldn't help but feel like that, too. What the hell was he supposed to do?

Well, he decided, he could start by telling Kurt he was there.

Taking a breath to calm his own nerves, Blaine kneeled down and reached his hand out to touch Kurt's arm. Tears welled up in his eyes when Kurt jerked violently, clearly unaware of who was with him.

"No... No, please... Leave..."

Okay, so now Blaine was crying. Biting his lip and swallowing away the lump in his throat, he forced his voice to be even: "Kurt." Blaine heard Kurt's quick intake of breath but the other boy didn't look up. "Kurt, baby, please open your eyes. I need you to look at me. I'm right here, just open your eyes."

A tiny sob that sounded a lot like 'Blaine' escaped from Kurt's mouth. If that wasn't enough to almost make Blaine sob himself, what Kurt said next nearly broke him: "He... No, don't. Please, don't hurt him, I love him, please..."

_Oh God, I love you, too._

"I love you, too, Kurt. And I'm right here. We're going to get out of here and you're going to be okay. I promise."

_Please, let that be true. He has to be okay. He has to. I can't... Please._

Finally, after what felt like way too long, Kurt lifted his head. His eyes were red and terrified and a little unfocused but the relief in them was visible as he saw Blaine, who tried his best to put on an encouraging smile.

Which dropped pretty quickly.

"...am I dying?"

"No!" Blaine said right away, his heart making a painful jolt. "No, you're not. You're absolutely fine. Because you're Kurt and you're so much stronger than this. You're so brave and I love you. I will make this okay. This will not destroy you. I love you. I'm taking you away from here."

Blaine was pretty sure he could hear couple of the girls sniff.

"You have to get up now. Okay? Nice and slow, there's no hurry..."

"Uh, actually... We do have to hurry..."

"Be quiet!" Kurt flinched, letting out a quiet whimper. "No, Kurt! Oh God, no, please, baby, it's okay. You're okay, don't cry. Everything is fine. But we have to leave. Right now."

He didn't wait for Kurt's 'okay' as he helped him stand up. Kurt was like a rag doll, most of his weight being carried by Blaine. The poor boy didn't seem to be aware of much but his voice was a tiny bit clearer when he suddenly spoke again:

"Finn?"

Finn. The tall guy who had come to hug Kurt first.

"Um... yeah?"

"We... we came to safe Puck. And we didn't even... So stupid, I..."

"You, Kurt Hummel, are one of the best people in the world."

Well now what Quinn was saying was the truth. Blaine took his eyes off Kurt for a fraction of the second to glance at the blonde girl. She had tears running down her cheeks and her eyes were a lot softer than a moment ago. Kurt was looking at her too, Blaine noticed, and he was frowning, as if trying to figure something out.

"Your dad loves you so much."

"Lucy."

_Lucy? _As in, Lucy Fabray?

Okay, so Blaine had not seen that coming.

She smiled and suddenly she was the most beautiful girl Blaine had ever seen. Not that he was good judge of female-beauty but somehow the experiences she had gone through shone through her eyes and made her look vunerable even to someone who had only met her a couple of hours ago.

She talked about her daughter. God, she really did love her so much. Kurt was clearly listening to every word she said, his face full of wonder and... longing...? as Quinn spoke of the little girl she had been allowed to hold for just a second.

"But you. You have to know that your dad never, ever forgot about you. He talked about you all the time. Even when you weren't there, you were still his whole world."

If the circumstances had been different, Blaine would have hugged the girl.

They were, however, not and Blaine was rudely reminded of this when Kurt suddenly went limp in his arms.

"Kurt! No, no no no no no no no, don't do this to me! We're almost there! We're almost out of here, just a little..." Kurt closed his eyes. "...No, Kurt, NO!"

It was like he was choking. He was opening and closing his mouth like a fish on dry land and the sounds that came from his throat terrified Blaine to the point of shaking. He lowered Kurt to the floor, trying desperately to keep him upright. Finn got down on his knees as well and so did Rachel and Sam.

"What's happening to him? !" Blaine asked from no one in particular.

"I... I don't know, this isn't normal!" Rachel stuttered.

Normal? Had any of these been _normal? _

Blaine put his hand on Kurt's cheek. He opened his eyes but probably didn't seem to see anything. They were wide with terror and confusion and his whole body was trembling...

"Kurt, listen to me. Listen to me, Kurt, you have to stay with me. Don't close your eyes, don't fall asleep. I know it hurts, God, I know and I'm so, so sorry but please..." And he was crying again, he couldn't help it. This was all too much, why Kurt of all people...? "...I can't live without you, Kurt, please don't... You can't... I don't know what's happening, Kurt, you need to help me..."

Kurt was looking at him now, somewhat desperately. And all Blaine could do was look back.

There were so many things he wanted to say.

There were so many things he wanted Kurt to know.

There were so many things he wanted to do with Kurt...

"Move!"

Blaine blinked and suddenly Kurt wasn't in front of him anymore. The woman who had been called Beiste had swooped him up in her arms and was now walking fast towards the exit. Blaine's first instinct was to scream and tackle the person who was taking the love of his life away from him but thankfully his brain caught up before he could do that and he quickly struggled to his feet and started after the body guard.

"Blaine... Blaine, wait!"

Blaine turned around. He had already completely forgotten there was anyone else in the world.

"Just... take care of him, okay? We'll deal with the other stuff. Make him okay, don't worry about anything else."

It was Finn who said that but all the others nodded along. They were standing in line again, from tallest to the shortest...

"We love him a lot, too," a girl who couldn't be anyone else but Mercedes said quietly. She looked pretty shaken up.

"I know. Thank you. I mean it, I..."

"You have to go," Finn reminded him. "Please tell him... you know."

"I will. Thank you again."

They smiled as Blaine started running again, reaching the door in less than ten seconds. Beiste was already in the car with Kurt lying down on the back seat, still looking way too pale and struggling to breathe. The second Blaine slammed the door shut, Beiste stepped on the gas.

"I've never seen anyone react like this. Here, put this on him."

She handed him an oxygen mask which Blaine put on Kurt's face as gently as possible. He sighed in relief when it was obvious it helped.

"Don't let him fall asleep. Not yet."

And of course, Kurt's eyelids started to fall shut.

"Hey... hey, no, Kurt."

"...hurts..."

A few fresh tears fell from Blaine's eyes. He lifted his hand to run it through Kurt's hair. "I know, I can't believe..." He swallowed a sob. "But we are out of there now, Kurt. We are going some place safe. You can rest there."

To be completely honest, Blaine didn't know that. All he knew about this woman was that she had been there when they had hurt Kurt and hadn't done anything to help until now.

Was this really the best...?

"But Puck... Lucy..."

Oh yeah. Blaine should focus only on Kurt right now. "We'll talk about that later. Right now we have to make sure you're okay."

"...hurt you?"

Did Kurt honestly just ask that? "No, they didn't."

"Good. That's good."

When Kurt was obviously about to fall asleep again, Blaine's mouth started to say things he didn't even have time to think about. He talked about singing and their future, knowing somewhere in him that it was exactly what he wanted, a worry free, normal future with Kurt, and this was the first time he had ever voiced these hopes. He wanted a king-sized bed with sheets that smelled like Kurt, and a house that reminded of him even if they ever had to be apart. Kurt was looking at him straight in the eye. "And we can have all that," Blaine added, hating his voice for cracking. "We can. We are not defeated. This is not the end."

It wasn't. Blaine wouldn't let it be. For just a second, he removed the mask so he could give Kurt a kiss that probably tasted like salt.

"So stay awake? Just a little while longer."

Kurt nodded and Blaine let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

What had they done to Kurt? It didn't look like he was physically hurt, he wasn't bleeding or bruised. What were those devices Ms. Sylvester had been talking about?

Did it really matter?

Kurt was in pain, that was all Blaine needed to know to hate the woman with his whole heart.

"I've always wanted to live in New York. I think you'd fit in nicely there. You're so fabulous. And you could design clothes for living. You'd be so good at it. Or you could become an actor. Or both. You have so much talent, I don't want any of it to be wasted."

A sudden, warm idea hit Blaine: "And maybe we could have kids."

"No."

_Oh... _

"No?"

"Have to leave. No kids."

Blaine could understand Kurt's muffled words even through the mask. A realization made his eyes widen and his heart swell. "Oh but Kurt. When we have kids, there will no longer be slaves. Everyone will be free. Our children can be free."

Was that a smile?

Oh my God, it was!

"Keep him still, I will be right back."

Blaine hadn't even noticed they had stopped and suddenly Beiste was out of the car. He didn't let that distract him from Kurt's smile and even managed to smile back, his hand still going through Kurt's hair. "You can sleep soon," he promised. "And when you wake up you will be better."

"Stay with me?"

_Always. _

"I'm not going anywhere."

Beiste was back and Kurt groaned at the sudden movement when she stepped in the car. She was holding a little bottle and Blaine hated himself for what he knew he had to do.

"I'm going to lift you up a little, okay?"

_I don't trust her, what am I doing, what if she kills him...? _

But she looked genuinely concerned and Blaine didn't have a choice.

"Njaaaahh...!"

_Oh God, oh God, oh God... _

"I'm sorry! Oh God, Kurt, I'm sorry but I have to do this. Just a second, baby, I promise. Now open your mouth."

Kurt shook his head, his eyes even wider than before. Every fiber of Blaine's being was telling him to stop this, to let Kurt lie back down but he fought against the thought, even when Beiste grabbed Kurt's face and forced his mouth open.

"You're hurting him!"

"He has to drink this."

Kurt coughed, he hated it, Blaine knew. He was shaking so violently it was scary...

Until, finally, he blinked and then fainted.

Blaine heart was beating so fast it felt it was coming out of his chest. He stared at his boyfriend, who now looked like he had never experienced pain in his life, before turning his eyes to the woman who he supposed was their saviour.

"Now all we can do is wait," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"What she gave him... What she did. I don't think his body handled it very well."

Blaine let out a humorless chuckle. "You don't _think?_"

"Look, kid, this has never happened before. I've never had to use a whole bottle to calm someone down. That's why we had to get him here so fast," Beiste said and Blaine didn't understand any of it. "He's sleeping now, which is good. I just hope he wakes up."

Wait. What?

"You just hope he wakes up? What the hell? You mean he might not?"

And okay, yeah. Maybe his voice was rather high now.

"I've done everything I can. It's not much, I know that. This is Burt's kid, I wish I could do so much more."

Again. What?

"Burt? You know Burt?" Blaine asked, his hold of Kurt tightening.

"I own Burt." Blaine stared. "I told you, I like cars."

They had found Burt?

They had found Burt and Kurt might be dying.

"He... He's here? Kurt's dad is here?"

Beiste nodded. "He doesn't know what's going on yet. I've told him everything I can about where Kurt is but all we really found was your name. This business is very secretive. It was actually more than I hoped for when I found out who had bought Kurt."

Blaine looked at the house. It seemed nice enough but not as big as what Blaine was used to. Certainly not big enough so Blaine would think the owner of it had slaves.

"I think... I think you should go tell him."

_Uh... Huh? _

"Me? But... How could I just... They haven't seen each other in years!" Blaine said. "What am I supposed to say? 'Hi, I'm Blaine Anderson, my dad bought your son for me to have sex with. He's right here but oh, he might...'"

Blaine couldn't finish that sentence.

"Well... Maybe you shouldn't say it quite like that. But yeah, pretty much."

She was serious, Blaine realized. They stared at each other for a long moment until Blaine realized he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of this.

"So where is he?"

"The backyard. Busy working on the new Mustang I got last week."

At any other time Blaine would have bouncing to the back of the house before Beiste had even finished the word 'Mustang' but right now old, amazing cars were pretty much the last thing in his mind. He glanced at the boy in his arms, his face still peaceful and breathing easy, and relucantly moved so he could get out of the car.

"Be care..."

"I got him. I swear," Beiste emphazised when Blaine shot her a doubtful look. "Go on."

Blood drumming in his ears, Blaine made his way to the backyard. Sure enough, there was a gorgeous car in the middle of what could have been a nice place to have a picnic. Someone was leaning over the engine, Mellencamp booming from the stereo he had set up on a cardboard box.

"Um... Burt... Burt Hummel?"

The man stopped whatever it was he was doing and turned around. His face was smudged with something black and even from 10 feet away Blaine could see his hands were roughened with hard work.

"Yes?"

His tone was carefully friendly as he could see Blaine was an owner. He reached his hand to turn down the volume of the music slightly.

Okay, so there really wasn't a subtle way to do this, was there?

"It's...l..." Blaine took a deep breath. "My name is Blaine Anderson."

Burt's face melted into shock. For a good ten seconds he just stared at Blaine before clearing his throat. "You are Blaine Anderson."

"Yeah, and..."

"Where's Kurt?"

Blaine paused. He could see the anxiousness in Burt's eyes, the hope and the pain of the last couple of years. It was absolutely heart breaking that Blaine's news weren't the best ones. He couldn't, after all this time, just tell Burt his son was waiting for him right on the other side of the house, confused maybe but awake and okay.

It was almost Christmas and Blaine couldn't give the poor man that.

"He's here. He's... Oh God, he's... not..."

Even if he could have finished what he had to say, he didn't have the chance as Burt was already walking pass him. Blaine was rooted to the spot, the reality of the situation really sinking in. He felt pathetic when a fresh set of tears made his eyes water and wiped them away with the back of his hand. As if crying would actually changed anything. They didn't live in a Disney movie where people could be cured with magical hair or healing tears.

If Kurt... if Kurt really... What the hell would Blaine do then? Every single picture he had of his future included Kurt. And it wasn't fair! Kurt couldn't... die... now that...

"Hey, kid?" Blaine shook his head. Beiste had opened the backyard door and was holding it open for him. "Burt's taking Kurt to his room. You might wanna come in, it's freezing."

Was it? Blaine honestly couldn't feel it.

He went in anyway, vaguely noticing it was snowing.

"Merry freaking Christmas..." he mumbled under is breath.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe it... I can't believe it...! Dad!"<p>

Blaine smiled as he watched his boyfriend and his father hug the breath out of each other. This was the moment he had hoped he could give Kurt, if he could never give Kurt anything else anymore. He was no longer rich, the only thing he really had was his name and right now that name would get him into trouble.

But letting all that go, leaving the money and the house behind him... If it hadn't been worth it a couple of days ago, it certainly was now. The weight that had been on his shoulders for the last 22 hours and 45 minutes was finally lifted and his brain could come up with other thoughts than Kurt, Kurt, Kurt, Kurt...

"You had me worried there for a second, kiddo," Burt said.

"I know, I... I don't what happend. What did happen? Blaine?" Kurt pulled away from Burt just a little so he could look at Blaine, who took a step into the room. "How did we get here? And... Wait!" His eyes widened in a comical way. "You two have met? You've... talked? Dad?"

Burt chuckled. "Yes, Kurt, we have talked. I must say, I approve. Blaine's a really good kid. And he loves you a lot."

Blaine felt his cheeks heat up when Kurt raised his eyebrows at him. "How could I not?" he said quietly, almost hoping no one heard him. He fixed his eyes on the blue carpet, feeling like he assumed anyone would feel in the presence of their boyfriend's parent. It was an oddly wonderful feeling as it was so amazingly normal.

It came so out of the blue Blaine couldn't help but let out a little gasp but suddenly he was being hugged by Burt. It was a tight, fatherly hug that had the potential to become awkward if Burt hadn't had the sense to keep it quick.

Kurt was beaming.

"You've been through a lot, too, huh?"

Blaine couldn't come up with anything to say.

"Uh... guys? I'm still confused and overwhelmed and so happy it's not even funny but... now I really do need the bathroom."

Blaine laughed.

God, that felt wonderful!

They had to talk. He knew Kurt wouldn't settle for this, he hadn't done what he had set out to do. They'd have to figure a lot of things out because this, right here...

...was probably the beginning of a brand new life.

But for now, right now, for just a little while, they could just be happy.

* * *

><p><em>Puck would make a great mechanic, Kurt was sure.<em>

_It was quite weird to be sad to see him go. It wasn't too long ago that he had been the one to lead the party responsible for most of the teasing Kurt was objected to. _

_Finn was visibly upset. He was sullen enough for even Rachel to be unable to cheer him up. _

_Kurt sat in the corner of the choir room and sang along to the depressing song they had picked up for the day. He truly wanted to believe that Puck had been bought by wonderful people who treated him with nicely. _

_Kurt cared. _

_God, that was scary._

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so I hoped that cleared most of it. <strong>

**:) **

***Yes, a quote from Chris Colfer**


	16. Chapter 16

**So, so, so, sorry for the wait! I couldn't decide what to do with this chapter because I had this idea in my head but I didn't know if you wanted me to jump right back into the action... But then I went with what I felt to be right and I have to say, I am rather fond of this chapter, a filler or not. **

**It is rather late, though... Sorryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! **

**But thank you thank you thank you THANK you for all the reviews, I appreciate them all sooo much and they make my day every time! Every single one of them has the power to make my heart go WEEEEE and some of them make me well up and downright sob... **

**So thank you!**

**I have decided that this story won't be longer than 25 stories. If I don't put a limit for myself, I'll never be able to stop and I have a couple of ideas I'd want to get out there. That's not to say I'm tired of writing this, Heavens no! It's my baby, all my stories are!**

**Disclaimer: I do now own Glee**

* * *

><p><strong>Caged <strong>_  
><em>

_There were not many places in McKinley where Kurt could find solitude. He shared a room with 11 boys, there was always someone crying in the restroom and the janitor's closet could not be locked from the inside. _

_But there was one place Kurt could go when the people around him got too loud or when the memories of his past became too much. _

_The __graveyard._

_McKinley had a small one for the kids who died before being bought and whose parents simply couldn't be found. A depressing place, to say the least, but as Kurt lived in a place so highly supervised, he didn't have much choice when he wanted privacy. He made a point to sometimes bring whatever wild-flowers he could find from McKinley grounds to each grave, hoping they would serve as a thank you for using this place for his own purposes. _

_That's where he was now. He had exactly 47 minutes before he had to be in bed and he wanted to use this time clearing his head. Glee club had been all about defiance today, everyone rebelling against the system in form a song. A clever way to get it all out without getting caught, sure. But it could be rather exhausting to watch everyone be so angry._

_They had a right to be. Kurt was angry, too. But it wouldn't make much a difference, would it?_

_Kurt leaned against an old maple-tree, well aware that the ground was wet. He was a looking at the nearest headstone. 'Patrick', it simply said. No last name, no birthday, no date of death. It wasn't as if no one knew them. It was because carving names to headstones wasn't free. _

_His parents were probably out there somewhere, lost in the maze of the system but positive their son was still well and cared for, working his way through life. They hoped Patrick had found a nice family and would someday marry, maybe have children. Thinking about this got them through the days they were seperated from their child. Not ever did they allow themselves to think Patrick was dead._

_Where was Burt and could he possible be thinking about Kurt right now? The teen looked up, watching a cloud curiosly shaped like a car float by. Was there a slightest chance his dad was watching that very same cloud, lips turned up in the tiniest of smiles?_

* * *

><p>Kurt felt trapped.<p>

After two and a half weeks of not being able to go further than the backyard, the high of being re-united with his Dad was starting to wear off and even the fact that he and Blaine didn't have to hide their relationship didn't ease the sense of claustrophobia that grew each day.

It was Christmas Eve. Kurt had just taken an extra-long shower just so he could be alone for a little while and was now looking at himself from the fogging mirror. He was a little paler than usual, due to the lack of sunlight and the short but intense attacks of pain that, according to Beiste, were part of recovering. She was still tight-lipped about what had been done to Kurt which the teen found to be quite unfair. It was his body, god damn it!

Well, at least she had told them that the friends they had left to McKinley were quite alright, unpunished. Whether Sue Sylvester knew they had helped Kurt and Blaine to escape, no one knew, but she hadn't fired Beiste nor had she given the police too much information to work with. The rumor was that she might have even edited the security recordings. Why? Yeah, a good question.

But that left Kurt with less to worry about. Now his biggest concern was, still, Puck and how to help him. Because there was absolutely no way he was going to let his friend get killed. The changing the world thing could wait for the time being.

Speaking of changing the world...

"Kurt?"

Kurt sighed and wrapped the robe a little tighter around himself before unlocking the bathroom door and stepping out. Blaine raised his eyebrows in a silent question and Kurt shook his head. No pain so far.

"Dinner's almost ready," Blaine said as Kurt took out a pair of sweatpants. Another, not very depressing but a rather annoying, thing about this whole situation was the lack of clothing. The two of them didn't feel comfortable asking Shannon to buy them clothes with her own money and the money Wes and David had given them would surely had to be used for something more important later. They couldn't call them for it was a very likely possibility that their phones had been taken by the police.

A familiar lump formed in Kurt's throat as he thought of all the trouble he had caused people. It wasn't too long ago that he was just another slave no one cared a damn about, no one thought as more than a servant or something even less. Who was he to be the reason people risked their livelihoods, reputations, _lives? _

Kurt had just pulled on his shirt when Blaine's arms sneaked around his weist, pulling gently so Kurt was pressed against him. The younger boy closed his eyes, relaxing slightly, and the two of them stayed like that for a while. Blaine's even breathing relaxed Kurt even further. This embrace was so secure and familiar. As long as he stayed in it, nothing bad would happen.

"Talk to me," Blaine mumbled after a while.

"About what?"

"You."

Kurt swallowed. Yeah, he hadn't been the chattiest person in the world lately. And it really wasn't fair to Blaine, who was just as isolated from the outside world as Kurt.

"I feel ungrateful."

"How come?" Blaine asked, his chin on Kurt's shoulder.

"I'm safe. _We're _safe. We're together, my dad's here, we have food and a shower and all that... We have everything we need. I have more than I ever dared to dream of. But..."

"We're safe, yes. But we're not free."

Exactly.

And the fact that Blaine just said 'we' instead of 'you' made tears well up in Kurt's eyes. Because Blaine could be free. He could walk away whenever he wanted and return home.

"I... I bet it would be quite a gift to your family if..."

"No."

_Oh, Blaine..._ "But..."

"No, Kurt," Blaine said firmly, turning Kurt around. "I'm not going home. I can't even call it that anymore."

"I can't force you stay here, Blaine, I can't be that selfish. This is not a life."

"Neither is any life I'd have to live without you."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Kurt, not bothering to wipe away the tears that had fallen on his cheeks, leaned forward and kissed Blaine full on the mouth. Blaine sighed into the kiss which Kurt took as a sign of relief. "I don't _want _you to leave," he clearified, his lips never really leaving Blaine's. "That's not what I meant. I just want you to be happy. Even if it means you'd be... away." His voice cracked at the last word.

"I love you, Kurt. Way too much for me to happy anywhere else." Blaine said it like it was a simple fact of life. Law of physics, not up for discussion. "And besides, I believe there's something that we've never done that I really want to do with you."

Kurt's eyes widened when Blaine's mouth turned into a grin. "W-what?"

Blaine's grin widened and his eyes became, Kurt couldn't quite believe it, mischievous. Then he started humming and it only took Kurt a fraction of a second to recognize the song. "_...but baby, it's cold outside..._"

A silence.

A blink.

One... Two...

_"I've got to go away...?" _

_"But baby, it's cold outside." _

_"This evening has been..." _

_"Been hoping that you'd drop in." _

_"...so very nice." _

_"I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice_."

Okay, so the way Blaine smiled was really one of the most breath-taking things Kurt had ever seen.

_"My mother will start to worry."_

_"Beautiful, what's your hurry?"_

_"My father will be pacing the floor." _

_"Listen to the fireplace roar._

_"So really, I'd better scurry." _

_"Beautiful, please don't hurry._

_"But maybe just half a... _Oh. Oh God. Oh..."

"Kurt?"

The humor was gone from Blaine's voice as Kurt suddenly tensed, squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip. He tried to breathe through the pulsing pain that never seemed to miss a spot in his body. He vaguely registered being pushed to the bed and sat down.

"Why. Won't it. Stop?" he wheezed out.

"Shannon says it's normal," Blaine replied. He had repeated it many times and was starting to sound somewhat desperate. "You... You didn't react like others so the recovery takes longer, too. I'm so sorry, baby, I wish there was something I could do."

The pain was gone just as suddenly as it had come and Kurt's shoulders sagged. He hated this. They had been having an innocent moment of fun and of course it had to be ruined.

"Kurt...?"

"I'm fine, just... give me a minute."

Blaine did. He never tried to touch Kurt after an episode for he seemed to know his boyfriend well enough to know that it wouldn't be appreciated. There were obvious reasons for why Kurt wasn't too fond of physical shows of affection and while that was something he had certainly improved with, these were the kind of times the old habit to avoid being touched really came to surface.

"Hey?" Blaine said softly after a while. Kurt opened his eyes to see him smiling ever-so-slightly. "I have a present for you."

"...huh?"

"Don't worry, I didn't spend one dime on it. It's stupid, actually, but I want to give it to you now that we're alone. Your dad might get the wrong idea..."

Was Blaine nervous? "Why would he get the wrong idea about a Christmas present?"

"Well... It might look a little like I'm... but I'm not! I mean... Uh... Not that I wouldn't like to, it's just... You know what, I'm just gonna give it to you. Just... be gentle with whatever you want to say about it, okay?"

Kurt blinked. "Okay?"

Blaine took a breath and reached his hand to take something from under his pillow. There had been a lot of discussion about where everyone would sleep, mostly due to Burt's normal fatherly concerns. After a lot of convincing that nothing he didn't approve would happen behind closed doors, Kurt and Blaine had both moved to the guestroom that had a little bathroom of its own. And the two of them had not been lying, things never got more intimate than cuddling.

And some kissing. But you know, they assumed Burt thought that was obvious.

What Blaine had kept hidden was a tiny paper-bag, completed with a home made ribbon. He held it for a couple of seconds, as if he was reconsidering, and then finally gave it for Kurt to open.

Now more curious than anything, Kurt carefully opened the little bag and fished out a small object with his thumb and index finger. He turned it around, frowning but then his jaw dropped a little. "Wha... Blaine?"

Blaine was scratching the bag of his head, looking sheepish. "I said it was stupid. I just thought, you know, if nothing else you might find it funny enough to make you feel a little better. I..." Blaine cleared his throat. "I made it out of bubble-gum wrappers."

Kurt couldn't take his eyes off it, the ring that looked almost exactly like one of those super-expensive ones he had seen on TV a few days ago. The actress they had mentioned had rang some bells but Kurt had been more focused on the jewelry. What was it like to live in the world where one could afford such pretty things?

"Now I see why Dad might take this the wrong way," Kurt mumbled.

"Yeah... Look, Kurt, I..."

"You have bought me multiple pieces of clothing that are more expensive than all the other things I have ever worn put together. But this... Blaine, it's_ beautiful_. Thank you."

"So... Mission accomplished?"

Kurt chuckled. "I do feel a little better, yeah. And... maybe we could finish the song? It's a personal favorite."

"That so?"

"Yes."

So Blaine offered his hand for Kurt to take and they really didn't need music to back them up as they acted out the song, flirting shamelessly and for a moment forgetting that the tempature outside didn't matter, they couldn't leave the house. When they got to the line where Blaine purred out 'ooh, your lips are delicious', Kurt blushed as if they had never kissed and couldn't stop himself from giggling, which really felt like something he needed at the moment.

They ended the song to a long note and collapsed on the bed, as close as they could be without being on top of each other.

"Merry Christmas, Blaine," Kurt said.

"Merry Christmas, Kurt."

* * *

><p>"Our son, our own son, clearly doesn't want to come home and you're concerned about our reputation? What the hell is the wrong with you?" Anne Anderson screamed. Screw Christmas. As long as Maria didn't have to hear this, it didn't matter what day of the year it was.<p>

"Do you have any idea how much family reputation can affect a business?" Richard yelled back. They were dressed up to the nines, ready to go to one of the annual Christmas Eve dinners to some important client's house. Neither one could remember what exactly had been the spark that had started this fight but it wasn't as if it hadn't been coming. Ever since Blaine had ran with his slave, the ticking of the time bomb could almost be heard.

"I couldn't care less about what happens to your business...!"

"You will care when we don't have food on the table!"

"Let's not pretend we won't have food for the rest of our lives. Hell, we'll always have more than enough to share! But it doesn't make us better people and our teenaged son seem to know that!"

"Blaine is a child! A stupid, naive child who thinks he's in love!"

Anne let out a humorless laugh. "You think someone who just _thinks_ he's in love would step in front a whip that is meant for someone else? No. It's Christmas, Richard, and Blaine could be anywhere! So no, I don't care about your business, I care about our child and I want him home. Not to be punished, I just want him back." She wasn't screaming anymore, she was close to tears. "I want to tell him I'm sorry and I love him and I should have done something. I want to tell him that he's a much better person than what I've ever been and more of a man than his father will ever be. And... and I want to tell him that I don't love you anymore because... how can I love a man who forced my son to run away from his home?" There was a pause. "You are not the man you were when we got married. I refuse to believe that you are."

The two of them stared at each other.

"Well then," Richard said in a voice Anne recognized to be the one he used when dealing with a rather annoying situation at work.

A rather annoying situation. That's what she was to him.

"I guess we have things to discuss."

* * *

><p><em>"I hate it! Why do have to deal with this garbage?"<em>

_"Finn, you have to calm down..." _

_"NO! Don't tell me to calm down, I am not going to! You want to scream out, too, I know you do! So why don't you? Huh? Kurt, I think you're the angriest of all of us and yet you never say anything! What can they do? They can't like.. cut out our tongues, who'd buy us then?" _

_It was probably true, what Finn had said. Kurt was the angriest. He __**had**__ thought he had done better job hiding it. _

_"They can do a lot, Finn, you know that," Kurt said. _

_"Well, you know what? Let them do it then because I HATE IT HERE! We are NOT prisoners, what gives you the right to keep us locked in? You're just a bunch of..." _

_"Stop it, Finn!" Kurt yelled out. He stood up from his bed and walked right up to the taller boy, taking a strong hold of his arms. Yeah, so he was about half of Finn's size but damn it, he could be pretty intimidating if he wanted to. "Just stop. It won't change anything and you'll probably end up hurt. Think of Rachel. She's scared enough as it is."_

_"But..." _

_"I know. We all know. And that's why we have to be there for each other. This, right here... It might feel good but it won't do any good. So just, please... Please, calm down. No one wants to see you hurt." _

_If only Puck were here, the two of them could practise wrestling or something to get rid of some of their fustration. But he wasn't and for some reason Finn had chosen Kurt to open up to and the smaller boy was fond enough of him to protect him from his own anger._

_"We're moer than a Glee club, aren't we?" Finn suddenly asked. _

_Kurt nodded for who was he to deny it. "Yeah. We are."_

* * *

><p><strong>Just waiting for Michael like everyone else :) <strong>

**Okay, so I totally and 100% stole the ring thing. I wanted to write a one shot but there were like a gazillion so I thought I'd just put it here. **

**More to see in the next chapter, we might even meet (enter spoiler alert) a certain boy with a squirrel glued to his head. Might...**_  
><em>


	17. Chapter 17

**I don't know what else to say about this chapter other than never before has a chapter taken a life of its own like this one did...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

><p><strong>Vows<strong>

_There was that one time that Kurt walked in on a couple having sex._

_It wasn't his fault. They should have chosen a location more private than the showers. _

_They hadn't noticed him, which Kurt was thankful for. He could only imagine the crap he would get for that. He had walked away quietly, expecting the wave of disgust to rush over him at any moment._

_It never did. _

_"Are you okay?" Rachel asked him quietly while they waited for Mr. Schuester in the choir room later that day. _

_"Yeah. I'm fine." _

_He was. He was just confused. _

_No, he couldn't see himself having sex any time soon - if ever - but unlike he had thought, the image of the couple on the wet floor didn't manage to bring back horrifying memories. _

_No had been screaming or crying. Hell, they had seemed to enjoy it._

* * *

><p>A perfect plan.<p>

That's what Kurt called it.

And once again, Blaine didn't agree.

"You. Will not. Get yourself. Arrested."

Kurt sighed. "I know what I'm doing this time."

"It's insane, Kurt."

"No, it's not, Blaine. Look, it's been a month. A month, and we're still here. However twisted her ways of showing it is, Ms. Sylvester is on our side. There's no other explanation."

"And this makes you think it's safe for you to walk into the waiting arms of the authorities?"

"Puck is going to be executed in 10 days, Blaine. I'm not about to let that happen."

It was like a repeat of the conversation they had had before they decided to go to McKinley. Which meant that Blaine knew he was fighting a lost battle. "Kurt... Last time we got caught, you nearly died."

Kurt's determined eyes softened when Blaine's filled with tears. "Blaine..."

"She freaking poisoned you! With some illegal drug that's not even been authorized! I can't... How the hell do you expect me to trust the fact that it was all an act and what she really wants to do is help?"

Kurt opened his mouth several times without actually saying anything. In any other situation, Blaine would have found it fascinating how his boyfriend tried to come up with something to say, how he could literally see his brain working.

Then, finally, Kurt stated: "You're going to have to trust _me_."

Blaine closed his eyes, his tears spilling on his cheeks. "But... Kurt..."

And suddenly Kurt's arms were around him, holding tightly. "I know. I know, Blaine."

They hadn't been apart for more than a few hours since the day Kurt had arrived. And if they followed this new plan of theirs, of Kurt's, it meant Blaine would have to stay at the house while Kurt all but turned himself in.

"It's only a little over a week. We can do that, right?" But Kurt's voice was shaky, too. Not nearly as convincing as he probably wanted it to be. "They can't kill me," he said.

"How comforting."

"It should be."

"Yeah? What about all the other stuff they can do to you, huh? Besides, quite honestly... I'm not too impressed with the justice system in this society. Because you know what is also illegal? Rape." Kurt flinched. "I just... I can't stand the thought of you in some cold cell with guards that don't give a_ shit_ all around you."

Kurt pulled away. "I'm a lot stronger than what I was a few years ago," he said. "And not all people are like them. I'm not saying there aren't guards that wouldn't hesitate but there are good people out there, Blaine. Wes and David, they are a prime example!" He rested his forehead against Blaine's and for a moment or two they just listened to each other breathe. "If we pull this off, it's over. We can be together. For real, not just in this room or in this house. We can stop looking over our shoulders all the time. We can have a future."

Blaine remembered how he had talked to Kurt about New York, careers and even kids in the car on the way to Shannon's house. He remembered the tiniest of smiles on Kurt's face...

His mind travelled back all the way to their first day together. How he had thought Kurt was literally the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. How his heart had broken when Kurt clearly couldn't believe someone was actually being nice to him. How he had made sworn to himself to never harm this person who he, not too much later, found himself falling quick and hard for.

He remembered Kurt telling him to not fall in love with him. He remembered how, in the end, Kurt had been the one to say it first. Now they said it all the time. It wasn't to remind each other, no, because how could they forget? But why would you not say it all the time when you felt it all the time?

"Your dad is going to hate this plan. Even more than me."

Kurt sighed. "I know."

Oh, and Burt did. He _loathed _the plan.

Blaine and Beiste watched as the father and son argued in the living room. Blaine found himself unable to say anything when the both of them would sometimes look at him, clearly asking him to back them up.

"I just got you back!"

"This is just a more comfortable version of a prison!"

These were just some of the arguments that were yelled, whispered or said with forced calmness. There were long, uncomfortable silences broken only by the obnoxiously loud clock on the wall. It was suddenly very clear where Kurt had got his stubborness from.

"Dad, I... I'm not a little boy anymore," Kurt said to end the longest moment of complete silence yet. "I've grown up. I've had to. I'm not trying to play a hero here, I'm trying to do what's right."

How many times had Blaine hoped his dad would look at him the way Burt looked at Kurt right then? Like he was proud as hell but scared, too, because as grown up as Kurt claimed that he was, he was still Burt's child. Blaine turned his eyes to his feet when some twisted form of jealousy poked his heart.

"I'm never going to agree with this, Kurt."

"You don't have to. You just have to believe that I can do it. That _we _can." Blaine felt Kurt's eyes on him without even looking up. "I'm not saying I'm not terrified. But we're literally running out of time."

Burt grunted. "So. When are you going to put this plan in action?"

"Tomorrow."

Blaine's colorful socks weren't interesting enough for him to focus on them anymore. "W-what?"

Tomorrow? As in, in less than 24 hours? What?

Suddenly unable to breathe, Blaine stumbled up. "I... I'm sorry... I have to - have to go." With that, Blaine turned around and pretty much ran upstairs. He made his way to the room that had been their home for these last weeks and allowed his knees to give up under him as soon as the door was closed.

_Tomorrow?_

Yes, Blaine had known it would have to be soon. But he had thought... Just... what?

He had no idea how long he just sat there on the floor. He felt as if his brain had been seperated from his spinal-cord and his heart was trying to force its way out of his chest. At some point - seconds, minutes or hours later - he heard the door open again but was too numb to say anything. His head was buzzing with all the thoughts that were going through it at the same time and Kurt soft hand in his did little to solve them.

"I'm sorry." Kurt's voice was even softer than his skin. Blaine didn't reply. "Shannon's going to take me to the nearest police station tomorrow, after she comes home from work. We're pretty sure they won't ask for a story of how she found me, they really won't care as long as I'm finally caught. But in case someone wants to know, we'll just say she found me trying to get into the house because I found out she owns Dad. It might actually buy us sympathy. If only just little."

"How... How long...?"

"We talked a couple of days ago. After they announced the execution date. She agrees that it is dangerous but no more than anything else we might come up with." Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand a little tighter. "She and dad went to get some stuff we still..."

"Kurt? Did you, at any point, plan on leaving without telling me?"

He didn't know why this was something he needed to know. But he did.

"No. No, I wouldn't do that to you."

Blaine finally dared to look at Kurt. His blue eyes were shining but he was being completely honest.

"After we left your house and went to Wes's... I stayed in the car for God knows how long, wondering if I should just steal the car and go. That was the only time I have ever considered leaving. And I realized I couldn't. Because I knew you were too wonderful, that you meant it when you said you loved me. You wouldn't simply move on. Your life would not become easier if I just disappeared."

Blaine hadn't known to be relieved then but he made up for it now. God, just the thought of finding out Kurt had taken off... Thinking it was for the best, that he was helping Blaine, but taken off none the less.

"Thank you," he said quietly. He didn't have elaborate what for.

Kurt smiled just a little and lifted his left hand for Blaine to see. He was wearing the bubble gum ring on his ring finger. It was rather fragile, being paper and all, so he had mostly kept it on the bedside table or in the safety of his pocket. But it was on his finger now and despite everything, Blaine managed to smile, too.

"I'm _yours_, Blaine. In every sense of the word."

Blaine didn't agree. "No, Kurt. I'm pretty sure I'm yours."

It was like their heads, or hearts, formed one single thought and in the next second they were in each others arms, their lips pressed together in a kiss that simply held _everything _in it. Whether it was conscious or not, Blaine would never be sure, but soon enough he found himself pushing Kurt down on the soft carpet. Kurt's hand had moved to his curls, pulling and petting at the same time and forcing Blaine to add more pressure to the kiss.

Blaine couldn't help it when a low moan escaped his mouth. He was so totally tangled in the moment that he didn't even realize what was happening before he suddenly felt Kurt's hand on his bare back. He broke the kiss, his head now spinning rather than buzzing, and looked at the boy lying on the floor. His cheeks were red and he was out of breath.

"...Kurt?"

The younger boy moved slightly and guided one of Blaine's hands to his chest. Blaine could feel the thumping against his palm and somehow it was more calming than any of the wonderful things Kurt had said.

Barely aware of what he was doing, Blaine sang out softly: _"Make of our hands one hand..." _while Kurt removed his shirt.

"Yours," Kurt breathed out before attaching his lips to Blaine's neck.

_"Make of our hearts one heart..." _

Blaine's fingers weren't as sure as Kurt's but somehow he managed to get the T-shirt off his boyfriend. This wasn't the first time Blaine had seen Kurt shirtless but he still couldn't help but to stop for a second or two to marvel the beauty of the pale skin and flat stomach. He swallowed air before placing a soft kiss on where his hand had been just a moment before. Kurt's quiet hum of approval encouraged him to move his mouth to the neck, the jaw, the ear as his hands travelled up and down Kurt's now naked sides.

They took their time, just like this, and Blaine would have been more than happy to stay at this zone that was intense and _hot _but still simple and safe. But just like he had been the first to say 'I love you', Kurt was the one who first moved to remove more pieces of clothing. Blaine felt his hand on his waste, his long, delicate fingers gently tugging on the belt and it was Kurt's calm breathing that let Blaine know that this was okay.

_"Make of our vows one last vow..."_

"We can stop... Kurt, we don't have to..."

But Kurt shook his head. "Things are going to be okay. I know that. It's not why I want to do this now," he said. "It's not because I think I'm never going to have the chance again. It's because it feels right. Right now. Here. With you."

Blaine's eyes fluttered close when Kurt gently helped him out of his jeans. He was glad he had told Kurt they could stop before that because he was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to anymore, not now that he was naked, safe for his boxers. He let out a gasp when Kurt stroked the back his thigh. It was such a simple and innocent movement but it had the ability to send jolts up and down Blaine body.

After getting one more smile for reassurance, Blaine allowed himself to relax and let go. He knew Kurt trusted him to tell him no if he changed his mind and he knew himself well enough to know that he would.

So he lowered himself to capture Kurt's lips for another hungry kiss, their chests now pressed together and hands exploring parts of skin that hadn't been discovered before. Somewhere in the midst of everything, Kurt's jeans joined Blaine's on the pile of clothes in the corner of the room. The air was filled with soft spoken words of love, gasps and moans of various volumes and it was rapidly heating up around them.

_"Only death will part us now."_

When Blaine asked if Kurt wanted to top, Kurt shook his head again but didn't bother to explain further than: "Just love me."

Blaine didn't know everything but he knew enough and read Kurt's face, felt his body and listened to the sounds he made to guide him through what he hadn't yet experienced. The slight frown wasn't enough to make him hesitate because it was overpowered by the loud moan that held no signs of pain in it. The gasp of surprise was nothing compared to they way Kurt's lifted his hips to allow easier access.

_"...now it begins, now it's starts..." _

"O-oh God, Kurt..." Blaine mumbled and Kurt responded with a sound that sounded something like "Hnnn-mmhhmmmbb-blaaaineeee-eennnnn".

_"One hand. One heart." _

It was slow, it was careful and it was exploring. It was new to both of them. Kurt had never been anything but a tool so that someone else could feel some sick sort of satisfaction. With every movement Blaine wanted to make sure the other knew that this was just as much, if not even more, about him now. He wasn't being used, he was an equal. The sounds of pleasure that came deep from Kurt's throat were nearly enough to drive Blaine to a form of insanity, mixed and laced with a overwhelming sense of happiness.

It was a particularly loud "Blaaaaaaaaaaaaine...!" that drove Blaine over the edge and after one more quick movement, he collapsed onto Kurt. It was a second later that Kurt's arms found their way around him and nothing had to be said. They just lied there, on the carpet, gasping for air and breathing each other in.

Still in haze, they moved to the bed at some point, snuggling under the covers. They had absolutely no idea what time it was or if they were alone anymore. In this room, time had stopped for now and they were in a safe, private bubble. Kurt was twirling Blaine's curls around his index fingers, his eyes unfocused and Blaine just stared at him shamelessly. If it was even possible, he moved a little closer to Kurt, snapping the other boy out of his thoughts. They exchanged loving, knowing smiles.

_"Even death won't part... us now."_

* * *

><p><em>Kurt was absolutely exhausted after a long and difficult physical training sesson Ms. Sylvester had put them through. His legs were literally shaking as he tried to take steady steps and his breathing was uneven.<em>

_Kurt loved it. Only when he had been near to the point when he simply __**couldn't **__anymore, did he know he'd be able to sleep calmly the next night. His body seemed to know he simply wouldn't be able to handle nightmares and also let him doze through the terrors the others had._

_"You have strenght in you, Porcelain. The kind not many people posess." _

_It was the closest thing to a compliment Kurt would ever get from their complicated leader._

* * *

><p><strong>Look what I did! <strong>

**That was probably, in all of its ungraphicness (that's not a word...) the single most intense sex scene I have ever written. Because of Kurt's past... I don't know how to explain it. But I wanted to make it just right, for him. He deserves it. **

**I couldn't part them just yet so you'll have to wait until next chapter for our dear Puck, who eats chocolate like a two year old. **

**I love you all more than I love Loveshack and Perfect mashed together!**

**Hope you liked it!**_  
><em>


	18. Chapter 18

**My only excuse is my schedule. It's literally killing me. Thank you SO much for sticking with me, it means the WORLD to me!**

**Hope you like it! You'll meet someone who's yet to make an appearance and someone who's thought we haven't heard for a while :)**

**Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do now own Glee**

* * *

><p><strong>Caged<strong>_  
><em>

_"Someone has showed interest in buying you." _

_Kurt blinked._

_"Well, not you specifically. A homosexual male." _

_Oh. _

_"You know what they want you for." _

_Yes. Yes, Kurt did know._

* * *

><p>Kurt's hand was bleeding but he figured it was better that way than breaking his fall with his face. The guards had not really tried to be gentle with him. What was the point, really? He was a slave, nowhere near as human as all of them and a wanted criminal who would be disposed of soon enough. Or... as soon as it was legal.<p>

Kurt shivered. He knew he would soon be moved but didn't have any hopes of the next place being any better. Hell, it would probably be 10 times worse. And this cell was no a suite, that was for sure. There were cracks in the walls that let in the cold air and every surface was moist with melted frost. It felt absolutely surreal that less than 24 hours ago he had shared a bed with Blaine, warm and comfortable and loved.

Blaine.

Saying goodbye had been just as hard as Kurt had feared it would be. There had been a moment, during the night, that Kurt had woken up, ready to just sneak out and leave without having to face the tears or the words or any of it. He had been halfway out of the door when Blaine suddenly shifted in his sleep and unconsciously searched the space next to him, letting out a quiet whimper when he didn't find anything. Kurt's heart had jolted and he knew he couldn't leave like that.

So he faced the tears. His own, his dad's and Blaine's.

_"I'll be alright." _

_"You better." _

Kurt stood up when he heard steps. This was it, he knew. They'd move him to the actual prison. The plan would be moved into action...

But who he saw next made his blood freeze.

"He was brought in this morning by a woman called Shannon Beiste. Said the kid was trying to get into her house. She owns the father."

Richard Anderson looked at Kurt as if he couldn't lay his eyes on anything more disgusting. Kurt didn't dare to look away but masked his fear for the man with a glare that let through nothing but his flaming anger.

"Where's my son?" Mr. Anderson asked, his voice low.

"I don't know," Kurt answered. He wasn't even lying. It had been agreed that, just to be safe, as soon as Shannon returned to the house, the three of them would change locations.

"Leave us," Mr. Anderson told the guard. He was not questioned or argued with but Kurt refused to even blink. As soon as they were alone, Mr. Anderson kicked the bars so that the whole room seemed to shake. "Don't toy with me, slave! You kidnapped him and you..."

Kurt let out a humourless laugh. "There's no one here to hear your lies, _Mr. Anderson_," he said. "We both know why he left."

"He would've never done it if it weren't for you."

"Well then you shouldn't have bought me."

"You were bought to be a fuck toy."

"I'm aware of that."

"But you twisted my son's mind with your lies and now he's God knows where."

"You can stop pretending that you're worried for him and not your reputation."

Mr. Anderson was clearly taken aback by the tone of Kurt's voice. Yes, the situation was alarming but if there was something Kurt couldn't just listen to it was this sorry excuse of a man acting as if Blaine was his number 1 priority.

"I don't care how high and mighty you are. You may have whipped my back bloody but it's hardly the worst thing that has ever happened to me. My mom is dead, I was taken from my dad when I was ten and brought to a place where no one cared. I was raped multiple times before I was even 15 and people have threatened to kill me more times than I can count. So tell me, why exactly should I be scared of you?"

They stared at each other for a long moment, both refusing to be defeated by someone they thought to be less than they were.

"You _will_ die, slave," Mr. Anderson finally said.

Kurt shrugged. "There are worse things that could happen."

"Acting brave, are we?"

"Just stating facts."

Mr. Anderson leaned in closer but Kurt stayed where he was. He could smell alcohol in the man's breath. "I will find Blaine and I'll make sure to bring him to your execution so that you'll both understand how in vain this all was. Your little fantasy is at an end. And mark my words when I say your end will be painful."

He kicked the bars one more time before turning around rather dramatically and walking out. Kurt waited until he was behind the steal door that seperated the cells from the office before sinking down on the floor, his heart racing.

He knew what Mr. Anderson could do. To people he considered his friends.

_"I love you so much and when this is all over, I promise I'll become rich and buy us an island and marry you there." _

Become rich.

Blaine had said 'become rich.'

He didn't consider himself rich. He had been a privileged child but still, just a young high school student.

Mr. Anderson had said 'my son.'

Kurt wasn't sure if Blaine considered himself as that anymore.

Kurt's throat tightened. Thinking about Blaine was hard right now. If all of this ended badly, Kurt would die. And honestly, that was the easy way out. He knew that in this world, money bought power and hall he could fight that money with was his mind. His honesty. And his heart.

"Whoever I'm praying to, please... Please, don't let him touch them... Any of them, please..."

"Time to go, slave."

Huh. Kurt hadn't even heard anyone coming. But okay then. _Now _it would all begin.

"_Please..._"

...

Okay.

Okay, help.

This place was horrible, far more horrible than Kurt could have ever imagined. There were more people there than he had thought and quite honestly, most of them looked like they deserved to be there. Kurt saw a couple of them eyeing him as if he was a piece of easy meat as the guard in a deep blue uniform lead him to the far end of this lovely building.

He was leading him to where they kept the people sentenced to death.

So they _could_ keep people there even though they were minors. This part of the plan might actually go as planned. That would be new. Refreshing.

Kurt tried to focus on that thought when he heard a wolf-whistle coming from somewhere behind him. If people on this side were like this, Kurt didn't really want to know what waited for him in the restricted area.

Wow, ironic. He was considered dangerous enough to be kept there... Or, okay, maybe not. Mr. Anderson was just rich enough.

They had put him in a gray outfit and changed his collar into a brown one. It was old and soft and felt cheap. It had probably been worn by a number of people before they put it on Kurt. The shoes on his feet were two sizes too big for him and laces wouldn't stay closed which caused him trip a couple of times. The guard didn't make a sound.

The door that lead to the area they'd keep him looked like nothing could get through it. Absolutely bullet proof. Oh GOD, the criminals they kept there... They probably knew ways to get out of their cells at night and they'd come into his and they'd...

By the time the door was being pushed open, Kurt was shaking.

_Stupid plan, stupid plan, stupid plan, stup..._

Huh?

Okay, so the hall was dirty... no, filthy and during the ten seconds Kurt had time to look around, he saw three rats. But... There were exactly five cells there and only one was occupied.

"Open 15!"

One of the doors opened and Kurt was being pushed forward quite harshly. The shackles around his wrists were heavy and they were not taken off when he was, for the second time in the last 36 hours, locked behind a door made of iron bars.

"You'll eat once a day," the guard said. "And you'll be let out to the bathroom twice. The shackles come off when we're certain you'll not try to escape."

Kurt chuckled in his head.

"We don't know your details yet, all we know is that you're to be kept here. We're not interested in your background or if you consider yourself innocent. We do as we are ordered and you do as we order or you'll meet your end even before it's scheduled. Got it?"

Kurt had to sense to nod.

"Good. The meal time has passed today. You'll have to wait until tomorrow."

And Kurt couldn't help but let out a little whimper. Because he wa already hungry. Fearing he'd be denied meals for the whole week he planned to stay here, he kept his mouth shut and could only stare at the guards back as he left to probably dig into his bag of donuts.

But...

"What the hell, Hummel?"

"Hey, Puckerman."

Kurt glanced to the corner of the hallway where there was a camera. It seemed to be the only way they were supervising them, though. They_ probably_ figured they couldn't do any harm from there, no matter if they tried.

It was _probably _safe to talk freely.

"What are you doing here, dude? Kurt... You don't belong here, what the hell did you do?"

"Fell in love with my owner." A gasp. "Sound familiar?"

When they both leaned against the bars of their cells, they could almost see each other. "I know her," Kurt admitted. "She used to be..."

"Your owner, yeah, I know," Puck interrupted. "Your dad talked about you a lot."

"He talked about you, too."

"You found him?"

"I did."

"...what did he say? About me? I mean, dude, I don't really... I mean..."

Kurt couldn't help but chuckle. "He liked you. That's mostly why he agreed to this."

"Agreed to what?"

Okay, so if someone did hear him now, all hell would break lose in approximately 15 seconds. Well. All hell would break lose anyway.

"If everything goes like we have planned, you'll still be alive 8 days from now."

How's that for a dramatic 'hi, it's so good to see you again'?

* * *

><p>Richard Anderson had always made sure that Maria knew she was a good girl. He praised her a lot, especially when she did what was asked of her. But yesterday, for the first time ever, he had told Maria to be a <em>big<em> girl. "And big girls don't cry," he had added.

Maria wanted to cry. A few days ago her mother had come into her room while she was already half asleep and had told her how much she loved her and how she would come back for her as soon as she could. Maria hadn't understood, she had been tired and had thought it was all a dream. But in the morning, when her mom didn't appear to have breakfast with her, it dawned on her: Anne Anderson had left.

She had left. Just like Blaine had.

And oh, how Maria missed Blaine.

Why her mom had left, she had no idea. But her dad had told her exactly why Blaine had gone and it wasn't Blaine's fault. No, it was the slave. He had taken Blaine, against Blaine's will and didn't want to give him back. "He wants money," her dad had said. "And sex." Maria didn't really know what that meant. But she did know she had to hate the slave for taking her brother away from her, for breaking their family. She knew she had to pray every night so that Blaine would come back, healthy and unharmed.

_No! _she told herself angrily when tears threatened to fall down her cheeks. She was a big girl now and she wouldn't cry. Crying wouldn't help. Being sad was pathetic and Maria was anything but pathetic. She was strong and determined and if she had to, she'd hunt down the stupid slave herself and _kick _him so that he'd let Blaine go.

Blaine had liked the slave, Maria remembered, and that just made her hate him more. She had seen it in movies. Evil people pretending to be nice, like the stepmother from Snow White. Maria blinked furiously when more tears welled up in her eyes. Would the slave try to kill Blaine?

"Are you not hungry anymore, Little Miss?" Laura asked suddenly, bringing Maria back from her thoughts.

"I'm not little!" she pouted.

Laura smiled, the bruise on her cheekbone changing color as she did. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you not hungry anymore, Big Miss? Shall I take your plate away?"

Maria stared down on her eggs and bacon that she had barely touched. "Yes," she finally replied, pushing the plate away.

"Would you like to have something else?"

"I want mom."

Laura's smile faltered. "I'm sorry, li... Big Miss. I don't think I can..."

"I want Blaine."

_I'm a big girl, I'm a __**big **__girl... _

But she couldn't help it anymore. The tears fell and soon Maria was all but howling after her broken family.

Oh, how she hated the slave.

* * *

><p><em>He was only trying to make himself believe what wasn't possible. <em>

_That they'd find someone more suitable for their taste. That Kurt didn't meet their expectations. _

_What expectations? They were buying him to have sex. One didn't exactly need a certificate for that, did one? _

_Kurt didn't tell anyone why Ms. Sylvester had wanted to see him. It wasn't 100% certain yet. Only 99.99. No one had to know. They most certainly didn't need to know the reason why someone wanted to spend money of a skinny, pale, high-voiced male slave. _

_"Maybe the food will be better..." Kurt thought miserably as he watched Mercedes perform a heart-breakingly awesome version of 'I Will Always Love You.'_

_I don't want to leave my family behind again..._

* * *

><p><strong>Hi again! <strong>

**Can't you just feel the action coming?**

**:) **

**I hope I didn't leave you with as many WTF?s as today's Promo for the next episode. **

**See you next time, Adios!**


	19. Chapter 19

**One word: Finals. Ugh... I'm dying, help, they just never seem to end...!**

**randomchild: oh you sweet thing, how I wish I could have replied to you... Forgive me, sweetie, for taking so long? I promise, I will try to be faster. **

**And to everyone else: THANK YOU SO MUCH, for reviewing, alerting, for the favorites and reading, it just... It means the world. It really and truly does and I wish I could hug you all to my chest and let you know how much I appreciate each and every one of you. **

**Alright, enjoy chapter 19!**

**Disclaimer: I do now own Glee**

* * *

><p><strong>Apart<strong>

_"That's... that's wondeful, Kurt..." _

_Kurt had finally told them. He had been able to keep a very neutral expression on his face and his voice had not betrayed any emotion when he simply announced that he had been bought and would have to leave by the end of the week. _

_The silence that followed was first broken by Mr. Schuester who clearly put an effort to try and sound enthusiastic. But his words broke the shock everyone had been in and it was when TIna started sobbing that all hell broke lose. _

_Mercedes pulled him into a hug that had the potential to break some bones. She didn't even try to pretend she was happy at that moment, she could do that later. Or maybe she wouldn't because Kurt didn't have any intention to pretend he was happy about this. Not when he knew exactly what was waiting for him. _

_So he started crying, too._

* * *

><p>Blaine woke up with a start and his first thought was 'he's gone.' He was afraid to look around the room and make it true so he kept his eyes on the wall and tried to keep the tears from falling. This felt so wrong, lying here alone. He had gotten so used to Kurt being there, in his arms, close, <em>there<em>.

"You're awake."

Blaine jumped when he heard the oh, so familiar voice and turned to see Kurt standing in the doorway of the bathroom. Fully clothed and clearly ready but still there. He moved towards the bed until he was standing right next to Blaine.

"Hey," Blaine choked out because 'good morning' would have been quite big a lie.

"Hey," Kurt replied. Blaine reached out his hand and Kurt took it and didn't fight back in the slightest when Blaine pulled him to lie down next to him. Blaine put his arms around Kurt's slender waist and held on tightly. He breathed in the perfect scent that was his Kurt and hoped with everything he had that this would not be the last time. "I have to go soon."

Blaine simply held on tighter and buried his face into Kurt's shoulder. The younger teen sighed shakily but did not move away from the hold. He didn't say anything when Blaine started crying but turned around so that they were face to face.

He wiped away each tear that fell with his thumb. The gentle touch was feather light but comforting.

"I'll be alright."

"You better."

Kurt smiled a little, his eyes shining. Blaine swallowed and moved to close the microscopic distance between their faces. The kiss tasted salty as his tears still kept falling but he never, ever wanted it to end.

But it did. All too soon, Kurt pulled away, his eyes closed and his breathing shallow. "I really have to go," he whispered. "I love you so much."

Something in his tone made Blaine's heart stop. "It's... Kurt, this is _not_ a good-bye."

"Blaine, I..."

"Remember the first time we kissed? In the laundry room?" Blaine asked. Kurt nodded. "You told me not to fall in love with you. Kurt, I already _had_."

"What are you...?"

"It's... There's really no other point in telling that except that I wanted you to know. And also to remind you about what you have already gone through. What we have gone through, I mean... Kurt." Blaine took a deep breath, willing his voice to be even. "You said it yourself, you'll be alright. You can't say that and then say good-bye, you _can't._ I will see you when this is all over. It's not that long a time. You'll be okay and we can be together forever. Please, Kurt. Please, you have to believe that. _You_ made me believe that." Blaine took Kurt's hand into his and squeezed. "You _will _come back to me. Okay? Courage."

Kurt laced their fingers. "I will," he said quietly. "I... I promise."

His voice was shaking and it was clear he was just as scared as Blaine was but his eyes didn't leave Blaine's. For just a few more seconds, they stared at each other but then Kurt moved to get off the bed. Blaine made an involuntary sound of despair and Kurt leaned in for one more kiss, one that they'd have to hold onto until they met again.

"I love you, too," Blaine breathed out when Kurt took a step backwards. "I love you."

Kurt opened his mouth to say something but the words never came out. He stopped, his hand on the handle and for one wonderful fraction of a second Blaine thought he had changed his mind.

But Kurt wouldn't be the Kurt he fell in love with if he had.

With one last teary smile, Kurt opened the door and just like that he was gone.

Blaine didn't get up until at least two hours later. He had gone from sobbing to completely numb to sobbing again and by the time he decided he should be more productive, he was as exahausted as he would be if he had never slept. The silence around him was suffocating and everything around him reminded of seconds and minutes and moments he had spent with Kurt, even things as insignifigent as a box of tissues.

He somehow managed to make himself look slightly better than if he had just come back from the death and the practical part of his mind reminded him that he did need something to eat. So he dragged himself downstairs, away from the memories they had already made in that small room, away from the images of last night... because oh GOD, last night... and made his way to the kitchen.

Burt was there, staring at the sandwich Kurt had no doubt put together for him and didn't seem to have any intention to eat it. He looked up when he heard Blaine come in and Blaine forced himself to smile just a little. Burt returned it but it was a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Here," he said, pushing the sandwich towards Blaine. "Eat. You look like hell."

"What about you?" Blaine asked as he sat down.

"I don't really have an appetite."

Well, neither did Blaine but he made himself take a bite anyway. "It's really good," he said, his mouth full. He was sure it was but honestly, he couldn't actually taste it. "Come on, let's share it."

This was one little thing he could do: he could be there for Burt. They hadn't talked about it and it was really none of Blaine's business, but he did know that Burt's health hadn't been the best during the last year and something as small as this made Blaine feel like he could be useful. It gave him something to think about during these hours when he wasn't expected to do anything.

To his surprise, Burt actually took the part of the bread he offered and slowly took a bite. Somehow, it made Blaine feel a little better. He couldn't really explain it. He couldn't explain any of the feelings that were either eating his insides or making him so incredibly confused. All the little emotions formed one, big, nagging pain that he couldn't name.

They tried to keep up some sort of a conversation. They mostly talked about cars and Blaine found himself trying to memorize whatever Burt said about each part of an engine. Not because he found the subject particularly interesting. But it was better than dwelling in his own thougths of misery.

It was another hour later that Shannon finally came back. Both Blaine and Burt stood up immediately and both of them demanded to know if Kurt was okay, what they had done to him and so on. And of course, at the same time.

"Alright, both of you, shut up," Shannon nearly shouted when calmly telling the two of them to stop talking didn't work. "They took him to the back of the building as soon as they recognized him. I don't know what happened after that but I made sure they knew that I'm not pressing charges. That should prevent them for immediately punishing him."

This did little to assure Blaine and there were so many more questions he wanted answers to. Would they keep Kurt in hunger, would they keep him with the other prisoners, would they force him to...?

"We have to get going, too. Go pack, we leave in 30 minutes."

There was not much for Blaine to pack. Just a few pairs of pants and a couple of shirts along with some underwear. The bubble gum ring he had given Kurt for Christmas was on the nightstand.

Already counting seconds to the day he would give it back to Kurt, Blaine carefully put it in his pocket.

* * *

><p>Blaine had finally found a word for what he felt: lost.<p>

Definitely lost. He kept his hands folded on his lap to try and keep himself from reaching out to take Kurt's. Because it wouldn't be there and every time Blaine was forced to remember that, something icy fell into his stomach. He knew he had a part to play in all this and that's what he tried to concentrate on. Kurt didn't need him to fall apart, Kurt counted on him to do as planned. His brave, selfless, beautiful boyfriend needed to him be as strong as he was.

The radio was making up for the fact that none of the three in the car really felt like talking. Blaine couldn't honestly say he liked the music but it was better than complete silence. Burt was leaning on the window with his eyes closed but Blaine was quite sure he wasn't actually asleep. The look on his face was far from relaxed.

Blaine let the song playing in the background become just random noise and his mind started to wander.

He thought back to the first morning with Kurt in the house. It felt like a life-time ago. He remembered telling Kurt he was welcome to share his breakfast, that there was probably enough food for a family of eight.

"Th... thank you for the offer, Master Blaine," Kurt had replied nervously, the sassiness from day before seemingly gone. "But this breakfast was made for the family."

"Kurt, you must be hungry. Just sit down and eat something, come on. I don't bite. Well... I won't bite you. I will, however, bite this pancake because it's delicious." Blaine had blushed slightly but had also hoped he'd be able to wipe the anxious look off Kurt's face. His own smile had faded when he saw Kurt's eyes widen with alarm. "What?"

Kurt had cleared his throat. "Master Blaine... I... I really appreciate that you want to make me comfortable but... you named me. I'm not Kurt. Not in this house. And..."

Blaine actually winced as he recalled how his heart had broken into a million pieces. Kurt had just been so afraid, in a way no one should have to be.

"My parents have already left for work," he had said. "If it makes you fell less nervous then sure, I can call you Chris in front of them. But I like your real name. It fits you better."

Kurt had blushed then and Blaine had thought he looked absolutely stunning. Oh, how far they had come since then. They had reached a point where Blaine honestly just couldn't picture a life without Kurt in it, and as happy it made him when he thought about the future, it also scared him. The love he felt for Kurt was not something he had thought he would feel while he was still in high school, when he was still a teenager. And yet, here he was, distracting himself from real life by thinking of ways he could propose to Kurt. You know, some day.

"Shit."

Blaine's little world of imagination popped when he heard Shannon curse. "What?" he asked.

"Police cars. They're forcing people to stop."

It was only then that Blaine noticed they were the last car in a line of about 20 or so. He swallowed air because yes, this was a little too much of a coincidence. At that second he was willing to bet all the money he had been supposed to inherit that those cops were stopping people to show them a picture of him.

"Not the trunk! That's the first place they'll look," Shannon said when Blaine made a movement to go hide there. "Curl up on the floor, get us far under my seat as possible. Do it."

Okay, so Blaine wasn't the biggest guy in the world and the car was specious enough but he still felt rather ridiculous and exposed as he tried to make himself small as he could. Their only hope was that the cops would ignore the empty back seat and would only want to check the trunk which could, in all honesty, hide a small army. Blaine's heart started thumping faster with each inch the car went forward.

And then, finally...

"Good afternoon, ma'am," said a deep voice.

"Good afternoon," Shannon replied.

"License and registration, please. And the slave's papers."

Bad. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.

"Hummel, huh?"

_Please, please, if there's anyone up there..._

"I'm well aware of his name, sir, thank you."

"Where are you headed with him?"

"My cabin. A few hours away. Just to... get away from the buzz and all, work on some old cars. Should take his mind off... things."

The cop made a little 'hmmm' sound. Blaine couldn't see him but was picturing a man with a huge belly, thick mustache and small, suspicious eyes. He probably knew very well that a certain Kurt Hummel had just been arrested this morning and this, right here, was not a situation he had expected to face. Oh, he probably wanted to proof himself to his boss or something. Would all their planning go to hell just because they were stopped by a some stupid, fat cop?

"Could you open the trunk, please?"

"I'm not hiding the boy my slave's son kidnapped."

Shannon was only playing her part but the words still hurt. He had heard them accuse Kurt of a kidnap in the news quite a few times now and he still wasn't used to it. Kurt had taken it much more calmly but Blaine couldn't quite get over the fact they portrayed Kurt as a first degree criminal.

"I'm not saying you are. Standard procedure, I'm sure you understand."

"Fine. But you won't find anything."

Shannon got out of the car and Blaine automatically curled up into an even tighter ball. Burt mumbled 'don't make a sound' under his breath and yeah, that was pretty much a given. Hell, Blaine was trying not to breathe.

"See? Nothing."

The nameless cop said nothing for a while. Blaine's position was starting to get more and more uncomfortable but he kept still, thinking that they should have known getting out of town wouldn't be easy. They should have used smaller roads or something, it always worked in movies. Or they could have walked...

"Alright, ma'am, you're free to go."

What? Seriously, that was it?

Shannon got back in and slammed the door shut. Blaine could instantly tell that was _not_ it and suddenly every moment he had ever had with Kurt flashed in front of his eyes.

"Free to go..." Shannon mumbled. "How does he figure that after putting a fucking tracker on my car I'm 'free' to go? He's personally going to pay for any damage he did to the car once they realize I have no idea where that damn boy is..."

Burt made a sound.

Blaine felt like he was going to be sick. He wanted to scream but knew he would have to stay as quiet as possible.

What the hell would they do now?

A frustrated tear fell on Blaine's cheek. The poor bubble gum ring was squeezed between his thigh and the floor and he couldn't help but think of it as a very bad sign.

* * *

><p><em>"You know, dude, it could be great. Who knows? There are nice families out there! Mike's owners even let him write to Tina."<em>

_Kurt shook his head. He didn't know why Finn was insisting on trying to be positive but he didn't tell him to be quiet, either. It was kind of nice, after all the crying. _

_"Hey, maybe they will let you see your dad!" Yeah, as if Kurt would have the courage to ask. "I mean, they should, right? That's kind of the law, isn't it? Dude, you're so totally gonna see him again!" _

_Kurt didn't have the heart to tell Finn otherwise. The bigger teen sounded so genuinely happy for him. _

_"If there's one reason why I want to be bought before I turn 18, it's so I could see my Mom again. Just for a second, you know? To make sure she's alright. I mean, I love Rachel and I don't want to leave her but we're gonna be seperated anyway, right? They won't let us stay together, they'll move me as soon as my birthday comes. So, you know... It'd be nice if someone bought be like... a week before? Then maybe I'd get to meet her again." _

_"I..." Kurt swallowed as the words got stuck in his throat. "I really hope that will happen, Finn. I really do." _

_"Thanks, man," Finn smiled. "I've told you that my dad died when I still just a baby, right?" Kurt shook his head. "Oh... Well, he did. And... well, it's not like Mom was alone after I left, no. She was a medical assistant in this really fancy building, we had a lot of friends... But I haven't seen her in seven years so I have no idea how she coped." _

_Seven years?_

_Kurt stared with his eyes wide. Seven freaking years? Finn had never been bought? He had never been owned by a family? _

_It was for a fraction of a moment that Kurt felt like the lucky one of the two. Because honestly? If it was promised to him that things would go back to normal and he'd see his dad every month if he returned to to Karofskys..._

_He'd go back in a heart beat._

* * *

><p><strong>Get ready, it's gonna get ugly. <strong>

**Uglier than my sobbing during Dance With Somebody and that was NOT pretty... **

**So, I have warned you :) **

**Alright, have a good morning, day, night and I'll see you next time!**

**Love you all!**


	20. Chapter 20

**I have two jobs. That's the only thing I can really say because I am so sorry it takes me this long, every time :( I don't mean to! I swear! **

**Thank you to each and every one of you, for the reviews, the favorites, the alerts! You guys are the absolute best and you make my day with just being you! **

**Alright, I hope you enjoy chapter 20. 20! **

**Disclaimer: I do now own Glee. **

* * *

><p><strong>Disaster<strong>

_For his last night on campus, Kurt had been given his own room so that he'd get a undisturbed, good night's sleep and looked nice and frest the next morning._

_But Kurt couldn't stop pacing. His life was once again in the hands of some rich, teenage boy and the thought made him sick to his stomach. It made him want to scratch his way through the thick wall and just run because whatever the punishment for that would be could not be worse than what he knew was waiting for him. _

_The room was small. _

_It was too small. _

_Kurt wanted to go back to his old bed, to his. own. bed. and he wanted to hear the other boys snore around him. He didn't want to be alone. _

_Suddenly, he couldn't breathe. _

_"Let me out..." He started to hit the door, kick it, punch. "Let me out... I want out, please! Please! Let me OUT!"_

* * *

><p>"She's so pretty. I just know she is. There's no way she's not."<p>

It was weird, getting to see and hear such a soft side of Puck who had always been so proud of his bad-assness. Especially since Kurt knew he was talking about someone he had never seen. Yes, the girl was his daughter and no, Kurt couldn't relate but it still felt weird.

"I wanted to name her Beth."

"That's a nice name."

Puck hummed softly in response and a silence fell between them. If Kurt's calculations hadn't mixed up too badly, he had now spent four nights in this place and he was already feeling the effects of it. Puck assured that he'd get used to only getting one meal a day but after such a long time of being used to eating regularly and eating well, the food Kurt was getting now only made him weak. He felt hungry all the time and every time he stood up to use the facilities, he head swam and it wasn't just once that he had stumbled badly enough to fall on his knees.

Kurt tried to stop his train of thoughts because thinking of food only made the horrible feeling in his stomach worse. The memories of the amazing chicken meals Shannon had provided mixed with the pictures of Blaine smiling at him softly from across the table were not really what he needed right now.

But oh, GOD, if he didn't get something to eat soon...

"Good day, ladies."

Food.

Food, food, food, food.

"Greetings from the cook. He had your health at heart."

The guard who brought their food wasn't anyone who Kurt had seen yet but his identy was the last thing on his mind. He could be bringing them rats with their skins still on and Kurt would gladly swallow every bite.

Well, he couldn't honestly say he knew exactly what the food was but it was something that was meant to fill his stomach and he wouldn't push it away just because it was sort of grey but sort of green, too, and it smelled like no food Kurt had ever eaten.

"Gee, slave, didn't your parents teach you any table manners?" the guard asked when Kurt started to eat with absolutely no thought paid to anything but _'don't you waste a bite, don't drop anything.' _"Stupid question, really, isn't it? You're here. You're scum of the scum, you're nothing but a maggot in this world. It all stars with parents. Which one was it, slave? Was your mother a whore? Was that how you were concieved? That would explain..."

"Don't talk about my mom like that." Kurt was hungry and he was weak but his hearing was just as good as before. "She was the best and kindest person ever and you don't get to say things like that about her."

The guard stared. "What did you just say?"

"I said, shut up about my mom!"

It was a blink later that Kurt was made to stand up with force that Mr. Anderson would envy. Kurt thought about fighting back but realized quite quickly that there was no point.

"What the hell? Hey! Let go of him!"

The guard didn't acknowledge Puck in any way whatsoever but kept dragging Kurt behind him, his face solemn and sweatting. Kurt blinked when the sun hit his face as the two of them stepped out of the building to a small yard. At first glance the fence around it looked like it couldn't possible hold anyone in but its strenght became known once the still unnamed guard pushed Kurt against it.

Whatever punishment Kurt had ever recieved, being electrocuted had never been one of them. The jolt that went through his body was nowhere strong enough to kill him but no way could anyone climb up the fence if they felt it. His whole body went rigid and he couldn't help but crying out and in next second his muscles gave up and he slumped onto the ground.

"You little piece of shit, you think you can talk back to me?"

That really had always been Kurt's biggest problem, not keeping his mouth shut when he should.

Or that was what he was supposed to think.

If he had kept his mouth shut when he should, he would have never told Blaine he loved him. He wouldn't have any of the things he was fighting for, all the things that he was going back to once he got out of this place.

It took more strenght than it should but Kurt made himself look up so he could look the guard in the eye. "I'm just as human as you," he said, his voice louder than what he had intended. "We all are!" he added as he stood up and saw that there were other prisoners watching the two of them on the other side of the fence. "Maybe even more. I mean, do you really claim the way you treat us is humane?"

If the guard hadn't been so stunned that Kurt was talking to him the way he was, Kurt would probably be... well, dead by now. But all the big, strong, bald man could do was stare with his eyes wide and the slave couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself.

"You... You... You're a criminal! You're a fag, fucking criminal and you deserve the hell to be kicked out of your ass!"

"It has been, trust me. And I have done nothing wrong!"

"Liar!"

"I am NOT! I have not done anything to deserve this! All I did was fall in love! In what kind of sick, twisted world is that considered _wrong_?" His chest was heaving with the pain that remained and all the emotions he felt. Fury mixed with love, excitment laced with fear. He should not be doing this, he knew. He should fall back into the line and go back to his cell and just sit there quietly and not cause any mayhem.

But then again, none of their awesome plans had ever really worked out. So why should this one?

"Puck fell in love, too, and you're going to kill him! He didn't do the things you're accusing him of! The only reason you're punishing him is because he has a collar around his neck! He's never going to meet his daughter who he loves despite of that. You people expect us to be robots and do our duties without any emotion or free will. And when we do not, you think you're losing control, you panic and punish us for being 100% human, just like you. It's wrong, it's ignorant and I am sick and tired of acting as if it's fine!"

Kurt knew he was in for it when the guard stepped forward to grab him by his shoulders. He was pushed back with such a force that the whole fence shook but Kurt didn't really notice that for the pain that ripped through him was blinding. His heart felt like it tried to beat against a wall and for a couple of seconds he couldn't breathe.

Then it was over and he was once again on the ground. He could vaguely hear voices from everywhere around him but didn't bother to look who was talking. It was probably just the guard anyway, yelling one insult after another, thinking Kurt hadn't already heard them all.

Half a year ago he would have probably believed them all, too.

"...id? Hey, kid? You alright?"

Kurt blinked and shook his head. He felt a strong but strangely gentle hand on his shoulder and realized he was kneeling down more than flat on his stomach. "...what?"

"Is' alright, just keep breathing. It'll stop hurting in a minute."

The teen frowned, trying to focus his eyes so he could see who was talking to him. After a few more confused seconds he could make out a round face, a bushy beard and a whole lot of sickly coloured orange. When the world stopped spinning for a moment that was long enough, he also noticed the collar.

"Enjoy picking on boys third your size, huh, do ya Menkins?"

"Yeah, this one looks just like Tony, don't he? Remember Tony, Menks? You and your guard buddies killed Tony."

"But not before raping him senseless."

"Ya'll bunch of balles idiots who think we don't see or hear or have any brain."

Kurt looked over his shoulder. The fence had been brought down and it had probably taken all the 15 guys surrounding the guard, Menkins, to do it. Another 50 or 60, at least, were also shouting and Kurt was sure he could hear stuff like: 'leave the kid alone!' and 'he's speaking the truth!'

"Easy, easy..." the man helping Kurt said when the boy started to stand up. "You're one brave lad, I'll give you that. Gotta a mouth on ya, too. Not the best of combinations sometimes."

"Yeah, I've been told," Kurt mumbled. He was absolutely enchanted by the scene in front of him. He couldn't believe that he had been the trigger, the reason the people he himself was guilty of thinking looked like actual criminals, were now taking a stand against people who had locked them up.

"This was long over-due," the guy admitted. "We needed the push."

"This isn't going to end well," Kurt pointed out.

"Maybe not. But whatever the end of this will be, it'll be the start of something big."

And with that, the man left Kurt to join his friends. Menkins' voice could barely be heard over the commotion on the yard and his voice was panicked as he screamed that all of them would be executed. Kurt feared that he was probably right.

A gun shot was heard. Another. But instead of making a straight line, putting their hands up or falling to the ground with their hands behind their necks, the gun shots just made the prisoners yell louder. A booming voice surrounded them, ordering them to go back into their cells but the effect was exactly the opposite. Despite the dozen men in black uniforms trying to keep them back, the slaves that hadn't already been out were pushing their way to the yard now.

"I'm here for eating left-over cake!" a kid that couldn't be much older than Kurt screamed from the top of his lungs. "I was fucking starving and they throw me in here for eating one spoonful!"

No one really paid attention to him but it wasn't about making a loud statement. Everyone was shouting the reasons they were thrown in jail, speaking freely for the first time in probably years. Not everyone's reasons were as innocent as eating cake but Kurt was way pass holding anything against anyone.

"Puck..." he mumbled under his breath. "Puck!"

His legs were shaky as, unnoticed by everyone, Kurt made his way back to the dim and wet hallway that had been his home for the last four days. It was empty of other people but Puck who was pushing himself against the bars, desperately trying to see what was going on outside.

"What the hell happened? You okay?" he demanded.

"I... I... Puck, they are rioting! All of them, they're... Puck, what the hell have I done?"

"This wasn't part of the plan?"

"No! No, this most definitely was not part of the plan! You heard the plan! No one was supposed to get hurt. People are going to get hurt out there, people are going to die!"

"It's that bad?"

Another gun shot made them instincively bend their knees.

"It's that bad," Kurt said, his voice shaking. "Oh God, why did I ever...? Puck, we have to get you out of there!"

"What? You can't bust through these bars, Kurt. Just go, this is your chance! Run, I don't think anyone will..."

"I did NOT come here just to run away before I have even finished what I came here to do! If I'm running then so are you, I am not leaving you here."

"Kurt..."

"NO! No, you stop talking right now. I was comfortable where I was, I had my dad and I had Blaine but I chose to leave because I knew that if I were in your situation, you would have done the same for me. I knew it. So I couldn't just ignore everything when I was in the position to actually do something. So you SHUT the hell UP and help me bust you out before we're both shot!"

Puck looked even more dumbfounded than what Guard Menkins had been but snapped out of it when Kurt, who didn't know what else to do, started to literally kick the lock of the door. He had all of the flexibility to reach it but none of the strength to do any damage. And Puck, as fit and athletic Kurt remembered knowing him, was not in the shape or condition he had been a few months earlier. But they had a goal and motivation and those things can give people power they don't even know they have.

"Kurt? Not to be rude but... Could you shut up?"

"Huh...?"

"You keep saying 'Blaine'."

Kurt's snapped his mouth shut. He'd been repeating Blaine's name in his head, he didn't really know why, but he hadn't even realized he had been saying it out loud. He was sweatting but he kept his eyes on the lock, trying to will it to click open. He was at a point where it didn't matter that he knew, he _knew_, that they couldn't do it.

"I made a promise," he breathed out. "I promised Blaine I'd be okay."

"A stupid thing to promise."

Kurt let out a sound between a sob and a chuckle. "I know."

He kicked the door again and at the same exact moment the whole building shook so badly that they were both knocked over and the sound that filled the air was deafening. If Kurt hadn't been downright terrified before, he was now, as he tried to think of all the things that could possibly have an effect like that.

"Dude... Kurt, you gotta go."

"No."

"Kurt, I mean it."

"No!"

"Kurt, if and when they find you here, they will kill you! They won't care how old you are! Just go, for Heaven's sake!"

"I already told you, I am not leaving you behind!"

Kurt had to blink to get rid of the black spots in his vision and it only helped a little. He pushed himself to a sitting position. His ears were ringing but he could still here the sounds of the fight. He flinched as he heard yet another gunshot but forced himself to crawl back to the gate.

"You also told me you made a promise," Puck said. His voice was soft. "You're breaking that promise."

"I _can't_ leave without you."

"This is about so much more than me, Kurt. The world..."

"...is going to change. It_ will_ because I know for a fact there are more people like Blaine out there. It was an amazing thing to witness and it gave me so much hope. But Puck... I can't leave without you. Please, try to understand... I can't explain it rationally. I know I should just go, I know it but. I. can't. So please... please, just... keep trying. Keep trying so that maybe they'll know that we tried our best."

Who 'they' were, Kurt didn't know. Blaine and his dad? The guards? The other prisoners? New Directions...? Or everyone?

"Okay, Kurt. We'll keep trying," Puck said gently. Kurt rested his forehead against one of the bars, just to gather his strength a little before he'd get up again. "Hey, you think I could becoming a mechanic for this Shannon you mentioned? She sounds like a great lady."

"She is," Kurt agreed. _Just a few more seconds... I'll get up in just a few more seconds..._

"Awesome. That's awesome, Kurt. And thank you. For doing this to me. I'm really not worth it, man."

"You are."

"...I'm sorry."

Steps.

Steps!

No, no, no, no, no...

Something cold pressed against Kurt's temple.

Click.

And boom.

* * *

><p><em>Mercedes held him against her chest as he tried to calm down his breathing.<em>

_"It'll be okay, baby. You're going to be fine." _

_"No... No, I won't... I don't wanna go, please... Please...!" _

_"It's an honor to be bought, Kurt." _

_"I don't care! I don't care... I just... I want to belong." _

_Kurt felt Mercedes' hand making circles on his back but the girl clearly didn't know what to say. _

_"I love you, Kurt," she finally murmured._

* * *

><p><strong>You all hate me, don't you? <strong>_  
><em>

**I love you! **


	21. Chapter 21

**Would you look at that, huh...?**

**I surprised myself, too xD**

**Here you go, chapter 21.**

**YAY!**

**...okay, that yay seemed a little inappropriate. **

**Just read. **

* * *

><p><strong>Heartbreak <strong>_  
><em>

_Kurt had thought he'd never have to experience anything like the day of 10th birthday. _

_Because despite everything, all the horrors he'd been through, that day had been the worst of his life. He had been ripped away from his dad, the only home he had ever known, without knowing when he would come back. Or if he ever would. _

_But this... This came quite near. _

_He had never really stopped crying after his breakdown in the middle of the night and he was beginning to feel lightheaded. The girls were crying around him even though they tried to say encouraging words. All of them assured that everything would be okay, great, awesome. And Kurt attempted to smile, even though he didn't believe any of it. _

_"Five more minutes!" Rachel gasped when Coach Sylvester announced it was time for them to go. She was grasping onto the front of Kurt's shirt, making it wrinkle. _

_"It's not going to make it easier," Kurt heard himself say. _

_"But Kurt..." _

_"I have to go." __He took a step backwards, forcing himself to move even though every part of him wanted to stay. "I love you all," he whispered before following Sue to start his new life. _

* * *

><p>It had been four days.<p>

Four days since Blaine had shown up on Wes's doorstep, again, soaking wet and shivering in the February weather. Wes had just let him in, marched him up to a hot shower and force-fed him soup and hot chocolate before asking questions. After being told everything that had happened after Blaine and Kurt had left, all those weeks ago, Wes had simply sat there for a good 3 minutes before sighing: "You guys are really bad at planning."

Blaine had chuckled but there had been no humor behind it. He felt as if he was free-falling with no means to stop and he kept staring at the phone Shannon had left him with like it could start ringing if he was glaring hard enough.

But no. The phone had been silent for all of the four days. Blaine had checked and double checked that the battery was okay, that the phone was even on and that it could recieve calls just fine. He knew there were still a couple of days before he should really get worried but right now he felt more isolated from the outside world than ever. He couldn't leave the room he was in when Wes's parents were home and helping Brittany clean the litter box while hearing endless stories about New Directions was not the distraction the teen was hoping for.

He caught himself constantly thinking about Kurt, if he was okay and if he had found Puck. He knew Kurt was stronger than what he seemed but he had made the mistake of researching how slaves were treated in such facilities. He had been able to go through a couple of sights before clicking X and it had taken him close to 15 minutes to calm his breathing as he had been nearly hyperventilating.

During his more optimistic moments, he had started to picture what life would be like when this was all over. They had talked about it, carefully, every once in a while. Sometimes, while lying in bed without being able to fall asleep, Blaine and Kurt had even dared to describe what their little house would look like and what they would grow in their garden. Once, with a slight blush on his face, Kurt had admitted that if he ever had a girl, he'd want to name her Elizabeth, after his mother. Blaine had agreed with absolutely no arguing.

Those had been great hours between them, perfect little moments of dreaming in the world of too much reality.

This particular morning Blaine had woken up with a nagging feeling of uneasiness in his stomach. It wouldn't go away and it was slowly but surely giving him a headache. He couldn't explain it and it was making him nervous in a way that prevented him from sitting down for longer than a few moments.

The clock was approaching 5 pm. Warbler practise was about to start. Gosh, just thinking about it made Blaine's chest ache. He had loved Dalton. Still loved it. Before he met Kurt, the Warblers had been the best thing to ever happened to him and had lifted him up from a very bad place.

Blaine thought back to the day he came out to his friends. It was a few days after he had told his parents and as their reaction was less than encouraging, he had ultimately decided he'd keep it from everyone else. He had had this secret for so long and it had never stopped him from acting normally so why should anything change?

Everything had changed.

Telling his parents had made the secret even heavier because saying it out loud had somehow made it even more official than quietly realizing it himself. Suddenly Blaine had found himself being extra careful about what he said and how he said it and just how much affection he showed his friends. He hadn't had much of an appetite and everytime he thought that when the bell rang, he'd have to go back to a house where he was not really wanted, he got an urging feeling to throw up. So, of course, people had noticed.

* * *

><p><em>"You okay, Blaine? You've been really quiet lately."<em>

_Blaine flashed David a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm fine. Just... stressed." _

_"And that usually just makes you talk even more. We know you, Blaine. And we're worried." _

_"Don't be. Seriously, David, it's nothing. Stupid home stuff, I'm making a bigger deal out of it than I should. I'm fine." _

_"Yeah, you keep saying that. I don't think you are." _

_Their conversation had been whispered but Blaine couldn't help but check if anyone else was listening. He relaxed visibly when he was sure that none of the other boys in the library were paying attention to the two of them. _

_"Alright, so things are a little complicated at home. It's nothing I can handle," he admitted quietly. _

_"Complicated how?" David asked, keeping his voice just above a whisper. _

_"Just complicated. I'm not really on the same page with Dad and he's not pleased. He'll get over it. Or he'll start ignoring me... I don't really care." _

_He did care and he knew it showed on his face. He turned his attention back to the math book in front of him, trying desperately to concentrate on the numbers on the page. He could feel David staring at him but ignored it, even when Wes joined them. They spent almost half an hour in near complete silence and Blaine almost heard his heart thumping in his chest. He was about to burst and it freaked him out. _

_'_Don't do it_', he kept repeating in his head. '_Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it..._'_

_"I'm gay." _

_Shit. _

_He had both mumbled and whispered and for a moment or two he allowed himself to think that maybe the two others hadn't heard it. But then he looked up and saw that they were staring at him with indentical looks of shock on their faces. _

_Tears burning in the corners of his eyes, Blaine slammed his book shut and made a move to get up. He froze, however, when Wes put a gentle hand on his arm and silently told him to sit back down. The shocked expression had melted away and had been replaced with a small smile. _

_"I'm... I'm sorry, it's..." _

_"It's nothing to be sorry about, man. If it's who you are then cool," Wes said. _

_"What's not cool is that you obviously didn't think it was okay to tell us," David continued. _

_"I... I didn't mean to..." Blaine took a deep breath. "I wanted to. I was going to but my parents... Especially my Dad, he's freaked out and I panicked. Things are so horrible at home, I didn't want anything else to change..." _

_"Nothing is going to change," Wes promised. "You're still Blaine. Who you like is not going to change that." _

_Blaine chuckled. "Tell that to Dad." _

_"I will if you want to." _

_Blaine could hear from his voice that he was being completely serious. His heart was thumping again but for absolutely different reasons. "Thanks but... He's **my** dad. If I can't change his way of thinking then I don't think anyone can." _

_"Just say the words, Blaine, and we'll try." _

_"I know. I know and... Thank you." _

_"Hey. No problem, dude," David smiled. "We're still on for Call of Duty, right?"_

* * *

><p>Blaine was shaken away from his thoughts when he heard someone stumbling up the stairs. He frowned, knowing it was way too early for Wes to be home but who else could it be? Sure enough, a few seconds later the Asian boy burst through the door of the guest room, out of breath and his cheeks pink.<p>

"Blaine..." he wheezed out. "Blaine, you... You have to come see this."

"What?" Blaine asked. The tone of Wes's voice did not promise good things.

"It's all over the news... I drove home as soon as..."

"Is this about Kurt?"

Wes paused before nodding slowly. Blaine's heart dropped to his stomach and a sudden shiver went up his spine because why, why, WHY would Wes look so scared and unsure. Numb, Blaine followed his friend to the living room where, unsurprisingly, David was already standing, staring at the TV. He saw a young, serious looking female reporter talking fast to the camera with several police cars and ambulances around him. He saw firefighters yelling orders to each other in the background and paramedics doing what they could to people with different kinds of injuries.

"What's going on?" Blaine asked, his voice weak. He had wanted news, yes, but not the kind that would make his friends miss school. "Guys...? Seriously, just..."

"Kurt's in Graydale Prison for Slaves, right?" David asked and Blaine was shocked to hear that his voice shook a bit.

"...yeah?"

_Oh God... No, please, no, this wasn't happening, it couldn't happen, not after all this, no, no, no, no... _

"Blaine... That's Graydale Prison for Slaves."

No.

_No! _

Blaine sank to the couch, his eyes glued to the screen. He couldn't concentrate on what the woman was saying as he was desperately trying to find his boyfriend. He saw smoke rising from somewhere but couldn't locate source. Guards were being treated and their wounds tended to while slaves that seemed to bleed much more heavily were left to wait, cuffed and gagged. Blaine felt his vision go black for a second when he saw the line of big, plastic bags.

"Kurt..."

"I'm so sorry, man, it's..."

"I have to go there."

With a sudden burst of energy, Blaine stood up. Wes and David stared at him as if he had just grown a second head.

"Come again?"

"I have to go there! I have to find him!"

"Blaine, half of this town's police force is looking for you!" Wes said.

"I don't care! I'm about to turn 18, there's only so much they can do! And if Kurt... if Kurt is..." Blaine closed his eyes, tried to collect his thoughts. "...then they can do whatever they want. They can take me home for all I care. But I have to know."

He made sure his tone left no room for arguing. It wasn't more than 5 minutes later that the three of them were speeding through the suburbs to the highway. The uneasiness Blaine had felt all day had turned into nervous little movements. The car was too small and he felt like someone was squeezing his throat but he couldn't get out so he settled on kicking the back of David's seat. If the other boy was annoyed, he didn't say anything.

It took them an hour to reach the prison. The TV hadn't really shown how bad the situation was, the only real word for it was 'chaos' and it didn't even begin cover it. Blaine's breath got stuck in his throat as he stepped out of the cad and tried to take everything in, tried to hear over the yelling, tried to see one person in the sea of people.

"Kurt!" he yelled out without stopping to think about it. His legs were moving as if he had no control over them and his brain was tuning out everything and everyone. "KURT!"

"What the hell, kid? You're not supposed to be here!"

Blaine blinked when he was suddenly stopped.

"N-no, sir, you don't understand, I... I have to find someone," he babbled out to the paramedic that was keeping him from entering the scene. His voice was pleading.

"Look, I can't let you further than this. Just tell me a name and I promise I will try to find who yo are looking for," the man said. He seemed sympathetic enough but then again, he probably assumed that Blaine was looking for his mom, dad or maybe a brother.

"Please... Please, just five minutes, that's all I ask. I... Please..."

The paramedic sighed. "It's not safe, the slaves are..."

"Dangerous?" Blaine asked, chuckling kind of hysterically. "You are letting some of them bleed to death and you're telling me _they_ are dangerous? Let me through!"

"You are preventing from doing my job..."

"I'm not preventing you from doing anything! Go do you damn job and just let me find Kurt...!"

"Kurt?" the paramedic said, recognition widening his eyes. "You're Blaine Anderson."

"No, shit. I know my name now let me go!"

Wes and David were now standing right behind Blaine and it was because they were holding onto his arms that Blaine didn't just punch the guy in the nose and run. But now the paramedic was looking at Blaine with an expression that suggested he didn't really know what to do. There were at least 10 police officers in hearing distance, all he had to do was yell that he had found the son of Richard Anderson and Blaine would be caught in a matter of seconds. But he stayed silent and just stared at the teenager before he lowered his hand from Blaine's chest to scratch the back of his head.

"Alright, kid... Follow me."

It was his tone that made every cell in Blaine's body freeze. He knew that tone. That tone had been used when his grandpa died and when his puppy had gone to dog-heaven way before his time. He almost stayed where he was as he didn't want to know anymore. He didn't want to know because this was not what had wanted to find out.

But he followed anyway, his heart beating faster and more painfully with each step. Tears blurred his vision when he saw where they were heading. Those big plastic bags they had seen on the TV screen had been arranged to a neat row to the edge of what was probably the jail's parking lot.

"Please..." Blaine mumbled under his breath. "No, oh God, please..."

The man stopped. He glanced at Blaine before bending down slightly to turn around the tag of one of the bags.

Blaine's legs gave up.

_Hummel, Kurt  
>Slave<em>

"Kurt... No, no, NO, please, no, not Kurt, no, please... Kurt...! Let - let go of ME, he needs me, I have to..."

Blaine struggled against Wes's arms, tried to free himself from the embrace but his body seemed to have lost all its strength. His eyes were fixed on the name on that stupid piece of paper and all he wanted to do was rip the bag apart so that he could see that it was not Kurt that was in it.

It couldn't be.

"He was shot in the head while trying to escape," the paramedic explained, way too calmly. "I'm sorry, kid, if you thought he was..."

"SHUT UP!" Blaine screamed out. "Shut up...!"

He let himself go limp as the tears spilled and the reality kicked in.

It was Kurt's name on that tag.

Kurt's name.

Kurt had been shot in the head.

Kurt was dead.

Blaine couldn't breathe.

"No..." he whimpered pathetically, hoping against hope that this was just one of his numerous nightmares. He didn't hear it when the un-named paramedic told Wes and David to not let Blaine run off before walking away from the three of them. He didn't feel David's hand on his shoulder nor the cold pavement under him. It was as if he was simply floating in nothingness, with no air to get into his lungs. A sob escaped his lips, then another and then he was full-on crying without actually even realizing it.

His mind took him to his dream-future. He saw a beautiful yellow house and the yard where there was a little kiddie-pool. Two perfect toddlers where splashing water, giggling when their Daddy pretended to be the Loch-Ness monster.

Their Daddy Kurt.

They'd never get it. They'd never even get a change to try and have it all, everything had been ripped away from them before their lives had truly even started. And through his crying Blaine suddenly felt a stab of anger.

Someone. Had killed. Kurt.

Kurt, who was the face of innocence, had been shot. His head had been blown apart and now he was in that bag, before even turning 18. Blaine could only wish it had been fast and that Kurt hadn't felt any pain. This was all too much already but even the thought of Kurt gasping to stay alive made Blaine's blood boil in a way that he had never experienced before.

"...ine? Blaine, you have to breathe!"

Shot.

Killed.

Murdered.

Slaughtered.

Without any warning, Blaine was all but yanked to stand up. His head still full of mixed images of his dream kids and Kurt's pale, blood stained face that he couldn't see who was now forcing him to walk. The grip on his arm was so strong it would have hurt if Blaine could actually even feel it.

Murdered.

Killed.

Slaughtered.

Shot.

"Do not make a scene," a somewhat familiar voice murmured into Blaine's ear. Blaine frowned because he simply didn't understand anything anymore. Life didn't make sense, nothing made sense, everything was worthless.

Slaughtered.

Shot.

Killed.

Mur...

"Blaine!"

...der...

Kurt?

"Blaine? Blaine, hey... Talk to me! Are you okay? What are you doing here? Blaine!"

The hands on his cheeks were so soft, so familiar and Blaine knew that at some point he must have died himself and this was Heaven. Kurt's eyes were so pretty, even when wide and questioning and Blaine said this out loud with a faint smile on his face.

A couple of lines appeared on Kurt's smooth forehead. "Blaine, honey... Darling, what are you...?"

"I'm sorry we didn't get the house, Kurt. I'm so sorry about everything. I wanted it all with you, I did... But maybe this is better, you know? At least we're together, right?"

Yes. They were together. Dead or not, this was all good.

"Blaine! Snap out of it, you're freaking me out!"

"No, but Kurt, we're together. No need to freak out anymore."

"Yes, Blaine, we're together. We're together now, please, Blaine..."

Someone said something behind Blaine but he couldn't hear it. All he could see and hear and feel was Kurt who briefly turned his gaze away from him.

"Oh Blaine," he breathed out. "Blaine, look at me. Really look at me. I'm right here. I'm okay."

"...we would have been great..."

"Blaine!" Kurt said strongly and practically slapped him in the face. Stunned at how it actually hurt a bit, Blaine shook his head again and blinked a couple of times. The world came into focus and it felt as if he had been pulled up from under water as he could suddenly hear _everything_.

"Kurt?"

Kurt smiled. "Yeah, babe, it's me. I'm not dead."

"Y-you're not?"

"No."

"You're alive?"

"That's what 'not dead' usually mea..."

Blaine didn't let Kurt finish his sentence before he crashed their mouths together. Kurt stumbled a bit but they kept their balance, their arms around each other and holding each other as close as humanly possible.

The world raged around them.

But they didn't care.

* * *

><p><em>"I'm counting on you to make me proud. I don't want you returned anymore." <em>

_That was funny because Kurt was already planning to burn the first breakfast he'd serve. _

_"The Andersons are a respected family. I expect to you to behave well." _

_"Sue, he's not stupid, he..." _

_"Shut up, William. Mourning because he won't see his pathetic, singing friends anymore will only make him sloppy and he'll be sent back to us in no time. No one will want a slave that's been sent back twice. And trust me when I say that this one wouldn't do well in the Selling Center. You don't put fine china into a place full of bulls." _

_"I'm not weak." _

_He said it with a low voice that didn't sound like his own. _

_"Of course you're not. But sometimes physical strength is what matters. They'd rip you apart. So I am telling you now, behave. You do not want to come back." _

_Kurt swallowed his reply._

* * *

><p><strong>Did I trick anyone? <strong>

**No? **

**Oh, well... **

**As if I could have actually killed Kurt, come ON! **

**LOVE YOU ALL, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE FEEDBACK, THE ALERTS AND THE FAVORITES! MEANS MORE THAN YOU KNOW! **

**(oh and there are two or three chapters left...) **

**uh... bye? **


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello everyone! **_  
><em>

**The response to chapter 21 was kind of mixed with other people saying it was the best so far and others telling me they didn't get it. To those who didn't, I feel like I should apologize but the truth is that I didn't want people to get it right away. I always planned to explain how Kurt got away in this chapter. So I hope you forgive me and are satisfied now that I try to clear things up. And thank you for your taking your time to review, it means the world. **

**And to everyone collectively, thank you so much! Your words and compliments and criticism are the fuel that keep me motivated to write even during this very hectic time of life. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. **

**So here it is, chapter 22. **

* * *

><p><strong>Square 1<br>**

_The house was huge. Much bigger than the Karofskys' had been. The front yard was beautiful with big rose bushes decorating the edges and apple trees planted strategically so that they would provide shade in the summer. _

_But Kurt was only focused on the people he saw standing in front of the house. The people owned him now and held his life in their hands. _

_The people Kurt already swore to himself that he would hate_.

* * *

><p>Click.<p>

And boom.

Kurt had always thought that when he died, the upside of it would be the peace and quiet, the fact that it had all ended.

This was the opposite of peace and quiet.

Something heavy fell on Kurt, making him flinch and let out a half-scream. He tried to stand up but ended up on his hands and knees as the world kept spinning and the still unidentified weight on his back was holding him down.

"I always knew you'd cause me trouble."

The weight disappeared and Kurt turned his head to see Menkins lying on the ground with something red pooling under him. Swallowing air, Kurt forced his body to move so he could get further away from the disturbing sight. A strong hand took a hold of his arm and yanked him up.

"Wh...?"

"You would have been saved from a lot of grief and hurt if you had just trusted me."

It took Kurt a few more seconds but then he finally realized: "Coach Sylvester?"

The tall woman looked just as scary as before, if not even more. Her hair was pointing to every direction, her usually unnaturally clean sweat suit was dirty with dust and blood. The look on her face was determined and there was a flame in her eyes that Kurt couldn't remember seeing ever before.

"You are a child, Hummel. You may not think of yourself as one but you are. What made you think you could do this?"

There was a loud, metallic clang that echoed in the hall-way and made Kurt's ears ring. A lot more gentle pair of arms was suddenly helping him to keep standing but Kurt was too confused to even wonder how the hell Puck had got out without his help.

"William, put that man in a body-bag and label with it Hummel's name."

"...with Kurt's?"

"Yes, William, with Kurt's name. And do it quickly."

Before Kurt could register the fact that his old Glee club teacher was there as well, his world went dark. For a second or two he thought he had passed out but pretty soon realized he probably wouldn't still be hurting so bad if he had. And then he panicked.

"What the hell? Take it off me, what are you doing?"

"I'm killing you."

"What?!"

"If anyone ever asks, Kurt Hummel died today. He and Noah Puckerman were shot while trying to escape during a prison riot that, I must admit, I had not predicted. This might work in our favour, though. So for once, you might have actually done something right, kid."

They were walking now, the sounds of struggling and the smell of desperation all around them. Kurt's whole body was tense as he kept thinking he would bump into something but it was as if they were in some sort of bubble that consisted of nothing but their little group.

"Neither of you say anything."

Of course, Kurt's first instinct was to ask 'why' but he snapped his mouth shut when he heard someone ask: "Who are these two?"

"Just some of my old students that I'd like to personally whip back into order. That is what I am legally allowed to do."

"But Hummel and..."

"Kurt Hummel is dead," Coach Sylvester said with a voice that oozed finality. "So is Noah Puckerman. These two will not interest you. So step aside if you don't want me to punch your face backwards." Apparently even the guards of this place knew not to mess with her as Kurt was forced to start walking again. "Oh, and I'll be sending you my dry-cleaning bill. The stains blood leaves are a pain in the ass to wash off."

Kurt nearly tripped as they stepped outside because apparently stairs were not something he should be warned about. He bit his lip not to snap at the woman because really, how ironic would it be if he made it out of the rioting building but died because he fell on some ice and cracked his head open? He smelled smoke in the air but none of the words that were yelled and screamed made much sense to him. He was having hard time believing he was still, actually, alive and breathing. He should have died in there. That would have made sense.

"Alright, you two, stay here. I have to make an appearance in front of the cameras as well as make sure that William doesn't screw things up. He has a tendency to do that."

Kurt blinked when whatever it was that had covered his eyes was taken off. They were in some sort of tent that had clearly been put up in a hurry but provided the cover they needed.

"What's gonna happen then?" Puck asked. He seemed to be a little more on top of things than Kurt.

"I'm going to help you disappear."

Kurt's stomach dropped.

Disappear?

"...but..."

"For once, kid, let someone else worry about things for you, okay?"

"I can't..."

"It will all work out, Porcelain."

Something in her tone convinced Kurt to shut his mouth. It was funny how, for a split second, he actually felt like things might actually turn out okay. That somehow this whole mess could go away. And man, it felt so nice.

"So I guess we wait then," Puck mumbled.

"I guess we do."

They chose not to mention the gun shots, the shouting or even the woman calling for someone who apparently was still inside the prison. They had no idea when exactly their old coach would come back or if she had made sure no one would come searching the tent. They tensed up every time someone ran by their hiding place and held their breath whenever someone came too close.

Kurt told himself he didn't need to know what was going on. He had done his part, it was over, he didn't have to go out there and risk himself again. Guilt was punching him the guts like a strong, tiny fist and it kept hitting harder and harder as the voices from the prison became louder and louder.

But it wasn't until he heard a particularly loud and furious "SHUT UP!" that it became physically almost unbearable to stay still.

"Blaine..."

Puck's head shot up.

"What?"

"I... I heard Blaine. Blaine's out there, he's looking for me. No, Puck, let go!"

He hadn't even noticed he he was moving before Puck was holding him back. His body was on autopilot as every cell of his being just wanted to make it to Blaine.

"You can not go out there, dude!"

Kurt knew that. He did! This was his shot, his one chance to try to make it out of everything. But he didn't want to make it out of anything without Blaine and oh GOD, he was so close. Tears formed in his eyes at the thought of surviving, being alive, running away, not looking back... without his boyfriend.

"He's..."

Both of the boys jumped when the so-called door of the tent was pushed aside. Kurt let out a sound between a gasp and a cry when he saw Coach Sylvester and who she was dragging behind her.

"...oh thank God..."

"Do not make a scene."

Blaine frowned but didn't lift his eyes off the ground that he seemed to find very interesting. Kurt heart rate quickened when he saw that Blaine was crying and he was out of Puck's firm grip in one smooth move.

"Blaine!"

Blaine didn't answer.

"Blaine? Blaine, hey... Talk to me! Are you okay? What are you doing here? Blaine!"

Kurt put his hands on Blaine's cheeks, trying to get the other boy to look at him. Blaine did but his eyes were vacant, shining. It was like he wasn't completely aware of what he was looking at and it scared Kurt more than the gun pressed against his temple had.

"Your eyes are so pretty."

The younger boy swallowed as he tried to understand what the hell was going on. "Blaine, honey... Darling, what are you...?"

"I'm sorry we didn't get the house, Kurt. I'm so sorry about everything. I wanted it all with you, I did... But maybe this is better, you know? At least we're together, right?"

And okay, Kurt was really scared now. Blaine was not even there with him, he was somewhere else and Kurt felt like he was losing the hold he had of him.

"Blaine! Snap out of it, you're freaking me out!"

"No, but Kurt, we're together. No need to freak out anymore."

"Yes, Blaine, we're together. We're together now, please, Blaine..."

"He thinks you're dead."

Kurt forced himself to look away from Blaine. He was feeling too much to actually be surprised when he saw Wes and David, both staring at him as if they were in a presence of a ghost.

"Someone showed us the body bags. One of them was labeled with your name. They... they said you were shot in the head and he... Blaine kind of lost it."

Kurt closed his eyes for a second, to let this new information sink in. His heart was breaking in his chest. "Oh Blaine..." Blaine kept rambling about what their future could have been like, seemingly convinced that this wasn't real at all. "Blaine, look at me. Really look at me. I'm right here. I'm okay."

"...we would have been great..."

"Blaine!" Kurt nearly yelled and then did something he never thought he'd have to do: he slapped him. He was about to start a litany of apologies when he saw that the slap had actually had the desirable effect and Blaine's eyes cleared out as he shook his head. Suddenly he was staring at Kurt as if they had never met before.

"Kurt?"

Kurt could have collapsed with relief. This was his Blaine. "Yeah, babe, it's me. I'm not dead."

"Y-you're not?"

"No."

"You're alive?"

Kurt almost laughed at that. "That's what 'not dead' usually mea..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence as Blaine launched himself at him and then they were kissing like they had never kissed before. Blaine's arms were around him in a way that made him think that they would never be apart again and yes, Kurt was all for _that_.

"Never again," Blaine breathed against his mouth. "Never. I thought I..."

"Shh. It's okay. We're okay."

"But... but how? What happened?"

Kurt opened his mouth to say that he honestly didn't even really know himself but Coach Sylvester beat him to it: "I could be cruel and tell you how things would have gone down if you hadn't escaped from McKinley when you came to ask for my help. But I'm feeling sentimental and so, I have decided to spare you."

Blaine's eyes flashed in a way Kurt knew to be dangerous. "You nearly killed him!"

"But I didn't. There's a difference."

"You...!"

"And I saved his life today. I think I have paid back whatever it is that you so childishly think I owe you."

Kurt put his hand on Blaine's arm when it looked like his boyfriend was not done talking. With a tiny shake of his head, he let Blaine know that it wasn't really worth it, they'd never get much of an explanation out of her.

"So...?" Puck said from where he had been observing the scene. "What now?"

"You are leaving here with William. He will take you where you need to go. As for you two, you are coming with me."

Blaine and Kurt just stared. "And where exactly...?"

"There will come a time for questions later. Right now I hope you agree with me when I say that we should go. Puckerman, I do believe there is someone in McKinley you want to see again."

The way Puck's brain did a couple of cartwheels before putting two and two together was plainly visible on his face. The realization, hope and relief was so evident that Kurt couldn't help but smile and reached out to squeeze his friend's arm encouragingly.

"But... but... I'm 18, I..."

"Oh, so you don't want to...?"

"NO! No, I do!"

Puck looked a child who wasn't sure if his parents were tricking him about getting a puppy. His eyes went from the coach to Mr. Schuester who has now joined them and then to Kurt, who nodded silently.

"Tell them all I said 'hi', okay?" he said quietly.

"Y-yeah..." Puck mumbled. His breathing came out in short, excited puffs as he turned to look at Kurt with a weird expression. "So... I guess this is uh... You know. A goodb..."

"I don't believe in those," Kurt said quickly. "Not anymore. I'm tired of them. Let's just say 'see you later' and leave it at that, okay?"

Puck chuckled, seemingly happy that he had avoided anything too emotional. "Yeah, sounds good. See you around, Hummel."

And then he pulled Kurt into a bear-hug that only a guy as big as him could give. Kurt bit his lower lip to stop himself from full-on crying as he knew the 'later' probably meant 'never'. It wasn't until they heard Mr. Schuester clear his throat that they let go of each other and Kurt was more than surprised to see tears falling freely on Puck's face.

"Shut up," the Mohawked boy murmured even though Kurt hadn't said anything. "You take care of my boy, you hear me?" he added, pointing a finger in Blaine's direction.

"I will," Blaine promised and Kurt felt his heart swell in his chest.

"Good. Alright, okay. I... I guess I have to go then."

"...yeah."

"Okay... Okay."

In the end, Kurt had to all push Puck to Schuester. The poor boy had been in jail for quite a time and until about maybe an hour ago had thought he'd also die in there. Now he was facing freedom that was full of things he had forgotten and that were new to him and somehow it seemed to be even more scary to him than the thought of dying. After looking over his shoulder one last time to say a quiet 'Thank you', his face was covered with a bag again and he was gone.

Kurt swallowed, suddenly drained of all the adrenaline. He closed his eyes and sighed quietly when he felt Blaine putting his arms around him.

"We have to go, too. And if you rich boys intend to follow then I suggest that you keep a little distance."

Dad... Beiste, my friends... Dad, Dad, Dad...

Kurt wanted to ask but he was scared to. He didn't want the answer to, once again, be that he wouldn't see his father in a long time. So he shut his mouth as his head was, just like Puck's, covered one more time and let himself be lead out of the tent. The screaming had mostly turned into various forms of crying and something cold and heavy dropped into Kurt's stomach. The riot had started because of him. People had died because of the riot. There were probably children waiting for their parents to come home but they never would because Kurt hadn't followed the plan.

"Step up and watch your head."

It wasn't more than 20 seconds later that they were speeding away from the scene and Kurt pulled the bag off his head. He was pressed against Blaine on the backseat and the sudden silence was actually a perfect medicine for his raising thoughts. Blaine's scent and the quiet sound of his breathing were so familiar and calming that Kurt found himself relaxing despite the hints of nervous energy that still pulsed through him.

"Blaine?"

"Mm?"

"If... If I fall asleep? Will you be here when I wake up?"

His voice was quiet and nervous as he just wanted to be sure about something, anything. Blaine's hold of him tightened and he pressed a kiss on top of Kurt's head.

"Yes," he simply answered. "Go to sleep, baby."

And so Kurt allowed his mind to go blank for just a moment.

He woke up with a start when the driver's car door was slammed shut quite harshly. He frowned and tried to blink the drowsiness away from his eyes.

"Good morning," Blaine said.

Kurt groaned as he lifted his head from Blaine's shoulder. "Where are we?" he asked, his voice hoarse. They appeared to be in a huge, almost deserted garage. It was dark and Kurt realized he had no idea what time it was.

"I don't know. But it looks like your old coach really has thought of everything."

"What are you...? Dad!"

Burt had a very hard time being gentle as he all but forced Kurt out of the car and into his arms. Kurt felt like the last puzzle piece of his world was suddenly and finally in place and even after everything he had experienced and been through during the last few hours, at this very moment he allowed himself to dwell in the warm happiness that the relief brought with it.

"Jesus with you, Kurt..." Burt whispered.

"I'm sorry," was all Kurt could reply with because really, he was. He was sorry about everything but wasn't quite sure about what at the same time. And he wanted to believe it so bad when Burt mumbled 'you don't have to be'. It would make everything so simple and enjoying these moments so much easier.

It was a quiet scream of a woman that caused Burt and Kurt to pull apart slightly. Kurt's eyes widened when he saw Mrs. Anderson hurry towards her son. Blaine, whose face had gone pale, took a couple of steps back but couldn't escape his mother as she nearly tackled him.

"Blaine... Oh, Blaine, sweetheart, I've been so worried! Are you okay? Oh, darling, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry about everything, I should have stepped up... I should have said something, I... God, Blaine, I love you, I love you so much..."

She kept rambling into Blaine's neck and Kurt watched as his boyfriend argued with himself for a good while and then finally returned the hug. His eyes met with Kurt's over his mother's shoulder with his eyes huge and unsure.

"Mom... Mom, what...? I mean, just..."

"I left your father," Mrs. Anderson said, cutting her son off. "It's something I should have done a long time ago, I know. It's been... tough, ever since Christmas when I finally snapped. After I left the house I started to get regular updates about your whereabouts from Ms. Sylvester."

Kurt blinked but couldn't honestly say he was very surprised. His coach's expression didn't betray anything.

"I knew you were okay and safe and that you wouldn't want to come home so I started to focus on getting Maria out of the house. I finally did, a few days ago. It's going to take some adjusting but I think... I think it's going to be okay."

She smiled and Kurt realized with a bang that this woman had never really talked to him. She had said quiet thank yous at the breakfast table and greeted him with a nod in the hallways but other than that, she had been all but invisible in the Anderson house. It must have taken her a lot of courage and determination to leave behind the life that she had lived for nearly 20 years and it sounded like her sole motivation had been her two children.

Kurt felt Burt squeeze his shoulders and leaned back so that his back was pressed against his chest.

"I'm not coming home, Mom," Blaine said suddenly. His voice was gentle but firm and left no room for arguing.

Mrs. Anderson let out a shaky sigh. "I know, sweetheart. I just wanted to see you. Make sure you're okay and... tell you how so very proud I am of you."

Even from where he was standing, Kurt could see Blaine's eyes fill with tears. He didn't seem to know what to say so he didn't say anything but allowed himself to be enveloped into another embrace.

The moment of happy family reunions ended when a pair of headlights nearly blinded the small group. At first Kurt thought it was Wes and David but then noticed that the two Warblers had already parked a little further away, giving the others some privacy. So for a second, Kurt's heart rate quickened because who else could have found them but the police? As the big, black Escalade screeched to a stop, Kurt's whole body tensed up and his mind prepared him to bolt.

When he saw who came out of the car, however, every single cell in his body froze and his legs went weak.

"Karofsky..."

* * *

><p><em>Kurt didn't know what to think when he realized that it would be impossible for him to hate Blaine.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>So I guess this is the moment where I tell you I have 1 chapter and the epilogue left... <strong>_  
><em>

**Tada? **

**But you can't be mad at me right now, right? THE BOX SCENE WAS RELEASED, this is a GOOD day! :) **

**Love you all, see you next time!**


	23. Chapter 23

**So... Um. **_  
><em>

**Chapter 23.**

**I'm sorry, I am crying. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or Time Traveler's Wife**

* * *

><p><strong>Ever After<strong>

_The moment Kurt realized he was absolutely, utterly and completely in love with Blaine Anderson was by far the scariest moment of his entire life. His owner had been nothing but nice to him and now that Kurt had identified the feeling in his chest, he couldn't help but fear the moment when everything came crashing down._

_Because it would all come crashing down, wouldn't it?_

_Kurt wouldn't be able to take it. He'd be broken beyond repair in more ways than before because this was not about his body, this was about his heart. His heart that was already more fragile because despite the way he had tried to protect it, it had already been broken multiple times._

_But when Blaine said that he loved Kurt, too, the younger boy couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, he'd get a happy ending out of this._

* * *

><p>The man that got out of the car didn't look anything out of the ordinary. The teenager behind him - Dave, Blaine assumed - appeared even more normal, just your average high-school jock. But Blaine knew what the two of them had done and to him they were the two ugliest people he had ever seen. It took every bit of his willpower not to walk right up to them and punch the living daylight out of both of them. It didn't even matter that they were twice his size. But Blaine stopped himself because there was something more important he had to do.<p>

He gently untangled himself from his mother's arms and made his way to Burt and Kurt. Burt was getting alarmed as his son didn't respond to anything he said, he just stood there frozen and shaking, all color drained from his face.

"Kurt? Kurt, baby, you've got to breathe," Blaine mumbled.

"Why are they here?" Kurt's voice was high and scared like Blaine had never heard it before. There was always, always some underlying confidence in Kurt's tone, even when he was at his most vulnerable state. But it wasn't there now and it just made Blaine angrier.

"I told them to be here," Ms. Sylvester said. "There's something important that needs to be settled."

"But why did you...?"

"And look, Anderson, here comes your father. Right on time as well, I'm impressed."

How this could possibly end well, Blaine had no idea. He had unconsciously gotten as close to Kurt as possible so his boyfriend was now sandwiched between him and Burt. The air around them was literally thick to breathe as Richard Anderson emerged from his black Cadillac, the look on his face suggesting that he knew he was better than everyone in this place.

"Ms. Sylvester," he said and his tone sent shivers down Blaine's spine. "I hope for your sake that you have a good explanation for this."

The smile on the coach's face was both mocking and pleased which made Blaine frown. By now it was clear to him that he would never understand this woman but as Kurt's shaking was getting worse, it was very hard not to judge her for this little surprise.

"Well, old Burt Reynolds, I do believe you would like to avoid prison. I'm giving you that chance. So I suggest you wipe that smug look off your face and dig out your cheque-book."

"And why exactly would I do that?"

"You have some shopping to do."

"Oh yeah? What am I buying?"

"Kurt Hummel's freedom."

One could have heard a pin drop. Blaine's jaw hit the floor, Kurt was so shocked he stopped shaking, Burt's eyes were the size of plates. Wes and David looked like they had stopped trying to follow this conversation a long time ago.

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Anderson was the one who recovered first.

"You're out of your mind! Are you actually suggesting that I pay that amount of money to free the boy who kidnapped my son?"

"You know, that accusation is almost as believable as the one made about one Noah Puckerman. But you don't have to worry, Mr. Karofsky here is going to pay the other half," Coach Sylvester said, nodding her head towards the man that had been silent so far.

"I have not agreed to anything!" he exclaimed now but he was sweating and it was clear he'd end up doing whatever was asked of him.

"But you will. Unless of course you want me to go to the police with the full description of the condition my dear Porcelain was in when you sent him back to us. I wonder what your boss would think of that?"

Mr. Karofsky's cheeks were red and it seemed like he wanted to argue. His eyes betrayed panic as he looked around the room and for a brief second his eyes met Blaine's. In that brief second Blaine made sure that the man saw the pure hatred he felt towards him because yes, he knew the truth and that he wasn't afraid to speak his mind.

"Dad..." a weak voice said then. Dave had stepped forward from behind his father, his gaze glued to the ground. "Just... just give them the money. It's the least we can do."

Mr. Karofsky stared at his son like he didn't know the boy standing in front of him. Dave, however, appeared to struggle with himself until slowly and hesitatingly, he looked up from the floor.

"I'm..." he began to say before choking on his own words and he had to gather he thoughts for a moment. "I'm so sorry... Kurt."

Kurt's face was such a mix of emotions that it gave Blaine headache just to see it. No one said anything for a little while until Mr. Karofsky finally grumbled and took out his wallet.

"How much is the other half?" he asked and it was clear he knew he was defeated.

"To free a slave the whole sum of money that has been put to his education, food and clothing must be paid back to the society. Given that Kurt is a top student and spent a few whole years at McKinley, all of that sums up to about 75 000 dollars. That makes your part 37 500."

"That's ridiculous, it can't possibly...!"

"You are in no place to argue about this, Mr. Anderson, so shut your mouth," Ms. Sylvester snapped as Karofsky scribbled down the number on a little piece of paper and handed it over without saying anything. "You know what will happen if this bounces back so no funny business."

The only answer he got was a short nod but even Blaine could see that this man did not have the courage to try to get out of this. Without saying anything else, he climbed back into his car, and as soon as Dave had shut the shotgun door, he hit the gas pedal and drove away with the tires screeching. Blaine watched as the car disappeared around the corner and only realized the impact of this short meeting when Kurt's knees buckled and he nearly collapsed.

"Whoa, hey! You okay, buddy?" Burt asked, keeping his son standing. Kurt merely shrugged, his breathing forced. "Could someone please explain to me what the hell just happened? What did those people do to my son?"

It was the first time, and it would probably also be the last, when Blaine saw anything that resembled sympathy on Ms. Sylvester's face and it was enough. It was heartbreaking to see how suddenly just knew without anyone saying it out loud and his grip of his son tightened. Blaine took a step back to allow the two of them to have this moment that was long overdue.

"Your turn, Dad," he said with a low voice. Mr. Anderson snorted.

"I have done nothing Ms. Sylvester could blackmail me with," he replied.

"That's not true," the coach said. "Did you know your son took Kurt, who is a minor, to the doctor after you decided to punish him by whipping him bloody?"

His father's eyes flashed but Blaine stood his ground. He had seen too much to be afraid of this man, ever again.

"After a statement from him and hearing what your ex-wife had to say, I have come to the conclusion that you, Senior Eyebrows, should follow Mr. Karofsky's example or your business will come crashing down."

Blaine's heart was beating painfully in his chest as he looked from his father to his mom and then back again. He was impressed how his mom did not even flinch under her ex-husband's cold stare but just crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows challengingly.

"No," Mr. Anderson said. "I'm not paying it. You can't prove anything!"

"You will pay it, Richard," Mrs. Anderson said. "You will pay if you don't want to make a very public announcement about how you treat our slaves. You will pay if you don't want me to go to court for well more than my share of what I'm due to have in this divorce. You will pay if you ever wish to see your daughter again!" She was screaming now and Blaine had never loved her more than when she stepped close enough to his father to poke his chest. She was so very short and tiny compared to him but at that moment she was scarier than Ms. Sylvester. "You will pay unless you want my name to appear on the cheque instead of yours. The money is still mine as well. And that would take away the little bit of integrity you have left."

It was as if the man had actually shrunk under the eyes of the small woman and in the next moment he was asking for a pen. With a small smile on her face, Anne Anderson handed him one and ten seconds later she gave the cheque to Ms. Sylvester.

"Now leave," Blaine said simply and without any emotion. His brain had not caught up to the fact that Kurt was free, all he could think about was that this might be the last time he ever had to face this man.

It wasn't until the Cadillac had driven away that anyone seemed to realize what this all meant.

"Ms... Ms. Sylvester. He's right. The total sum can't possibly be that much," Kurt said. Blaine blinked because what? Wait, holy sh...

"Of course it's not," Ms. Sylvester said as if it should all be obvious. "Your sum is barely 20 000."

"I don't under..."

"The rest was to free your father."

…

…

…

The sound that came out of Kurt was a mix of a scream, a sob and a laugh as the boy jumped to throw his arms around his stunned-beyond-words father's neck. It was as if the previous day had not happened at all because this moment wiped it all away.

It took a few seconds for Blaine to realize that he was crying and a couple of more to see that so was everyone else, except for Ms. Sylvester. Well, it was hard to tell as she had hidden her face from view but yeah, as if that was the main thing on Blaine's mind. His mom was hugging him again and he forced back a sob as he kissed her temple.

His boyfriend was free.

Free.

"Excuse me?" he said when Kurt had unwrapped himself from Burt. "May I?"

Kurt frowned but Blaine just smiled and stepped forward. With one, simple movement he removed Kurt's collar and threw it as far away from the as possible.

"I love you so much."

Kurt let out a near-hysterical chuckle before crashing their mouths together, disregarding the fact that they had an audience. Overwhelmed by everything he felt at that moment, Blaine actually lifted Kurt off the ground the spun him around, earning a giggle from his boyfriend as their kiss was seasoned by both of their tears.

"I love you, too."

Someone cleared their throat behind them, breaking their little moment. The two boys kept their arms around each other as they turned back to the others. Wes and David had now also joined their little group and Blaine was surprised to see that they were being hugged tightly by his mother. The two Warblers didn't seem to understand what that was about either but awkwardly patted Mrs. Anderson on the back anyway.

Burt was rubbing his neck that was now also collar free. Blaine realized that this man had worn the collar for over 40 years without anyone ever taking it off him and being without it was probably the weirdest feeling. His mind making decisions before he could think them over, he leaned in to place a soft kiss right next to Kurt's adam's apple and smirked when he saw the goosebumps that formed there.

"Alright, I have wasted enough of my time on this. Now that no one has to say any tearful and cliche final goodbyes, I suggest that we all go home to reflect the fact that I saved all your asses numerous times during the last few months. You may send me gift-baskets of protein powder when you eventually realize that you owe me big time."

In the months to come, Blaine would figure out that the coach was actually speaking the truth but at that moment going home, wherever that was, with Kurt was his top-priority because not only was Kurt with him, he was alive and free and they were actually reaching the first half of their happy ending and it was even happier than either one of them had thought possible.

So he hugged his mother yet again, promising to keep in touch and to remember Maria's birthday and he said thank you to his friends too many times for any of them to count. Neither of them suggested that Blaine should come with them instead of going with Kurt because it was obvious Blaine had not even considered any option that would mean he'd have to leave Kurt at this point. No, they may have been young but they had gone through too much to part ways now that they had a chance to never part ways again.

Sue ended up driving them to Shannon's house where she was waiting anxiously, ripping apart a chicken to ease her nerves. She didn't have to say anything as the look on her face told them more than words could when she took in the collars that were not there and the smiles that revealed everything.

It was a evening of celebration that ended quite early as the adrenaline slowly drained out. Burt and Shannon eventually settled in front of TV to watch a game in a comfortable silence and Kurt and Blaine took that as an OK to leave for their room. It had clearly been cleaned but other than that it looked exactly like before and Blaine couldn't help but smile fondly as he remembered everything that had happened there. Kurt obviously noticed the smile as he elbowed Blaine to the ribs playfully.

"I just can't quite believe this," Blaine murmured. "How am I ever supposed to understand what happened today?"

"I don't think you are supposed to. I know I won't," Kurt replied. "I don't even want to, to be honest. I'd like to remember this day as one of the happiest ones of my life and understanding everything might ruin that."

"One of?"

Kurt's eyes sparkled. "Well, there's the day I woke up and Dad walked into the room," he said. "And, of course," he added, turning so that he could look Blaine right in the eye. "the day I met you."

Blaine's whole body was filled with something warm and he pulled on Kurt's arm gently to bring him in for a soft kiss.

"I may have not known it at the time," Kurt continued. "But looking back, it's the day that changed everything. My whole life."

"Oh God, I was so scared. I didn't want to hurt you and you were this beautiful thing and geez... All I could think was how much I did not deserve to have you in my life, you were just too perfect."

"Blaine, you're turning sappy."

"It's all true. And Kurt, when I thought I had lost you, I..."

"No, hush," Kurt said firmly. "It's over."

"Kurt, I... I just have to tell you," Blaine said. "Kurt, I have never felt like that before, I thought my whole world had just disappeared from around me and I didn't know what to do. I was so, completely lost, those were the worst minutes of my life and I never want to feel like that again, ever. You and me, we're it. This is forever because I am not letting you go again."

Kurt's eyes shined with fresh tears. "...it sort of sounds like you're proposing," he whispered with his cheeks pinks.

"Well, I have given you a ring, haven't I?" Blaine said and chuckled softly when Kurt let out a sharp breath. "Let's say it's a promise that I will one day."

"That's a good thing to promise. I will hold you to it," Kurt said. "Unless I beat you to it."

Those were such silly things to say for boys who are 17 years old but the two of them knew they had a future together to look forward to so whether it was tomorrow or in a month or in a few years, some day they would become a married couple. Such thoughts had been merely dreams only a few hours ago and now they could actually think of it as something that would definitely happen. When Kurt wasn't quite exhausted, he would describe the exact kind of suit he wanted to wear to his wedding and scold Blaine for even suggesting a bow-tie with yellow dots.

But for now they made their way to bed and held each other close, legs tangled together. They exchanged sweet kisses but didn't let things get too heated as this wasn't the time for that.

"You're free," Blaine breathed against Kurt's lips, letting his hand go through his boyfriend's hair.

Kurt smiled. "I was free the moment I met you," he said. "But I am still..."_ kiss_ "...completely..." _kiss_ "...yours."

* * *

><p><strong>So.<strong>

**There will be an epilogue that will tie up some lose endings and maybe even give a little peek about what will happen in... 20 or so years? **

**This story... What the hell can I say, I have written it for FOREVER and ultimately, out of everything I have written anywhere and in any fandom or blog or forum, this is by far the longest ever and I have now nearly finished it. **

**So what can I say? I am proud of myself. **

**And you have all been wonderful for sticking with me through all of this, not hating me for not updating in forever and just... I love you all and I am hugging all of you. **

**I will put the epilogue up soon as well. **

**THANK YOU! **

**-DoMF**


	24. Chapter 24

**Alright, here we are.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee **

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><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

_Kurt was holding a cup of tea in his hands but the liquid had long since gone cold. He stared out of the kitchen window, wondering if he should do something about the over-grown grass of their front yard._

_He jumped when the clock made a deep sound, indicating it was half past 11. Soon it would be August 18th, a day that didn't hold much meaning to the world but it was a day Kurt had waited for with growing dread._

_It was stupid, really, there really wasn't anything to worry about. But there were some scars than ran too deep for Kurt not be anxious._

"_Hey," a soft voice said from behind him. "What are you doing up?" _

_Kurt closed his eyes when Blaine kissed the crown of his head softly, his warm hands on his shoulders. _

"_Couldn't sleep," he admitted, keeping his voice hushed. _

_Blaine hummed. "Thinking of tomorrow?" _

_Kurt lifted one of his shoulder and turned to look out of the window again. He felt silly for feeling like this, especially since Blaine had been excited for a full week now. _

"_Kurt... You know nothing will happen, right?" _

_The younger man sighed. "Yeah." _

"_Kuuuurt?" _

"_I know! I mean, the logical part of me does but... Blaine. I'm scared." _

_And there, he admitted it. Blaine sat down in front of him and took a hold of his hand, lacing their fingers together. _

"_Oh God... I don't want to ruin the day, I'm being an idiot...!" _

"_No, Kurt, you're not. Don't think like that." _

"_It's been so long..." _

"_Kurt, you have made it clear that despite everything, that day was the single most horrible one in your life. I don't blame you for one second about not being entirely comfortable."_

_Kurt bit his lower lip, his eyes shining. "But..." _

"_No," Blaine cut Kurt off, emphasising the short word with a quick kiss. "Stop." _

_So Kurt sighed again and nodded, letting his head fall against his husband's chest. "I love you," he said. _

"_I love you, too."_

* * *

><p>It took a few years, four to be exact, before anything big happened. And then it seemed like everything happened at once.<p>

On a very normal, sunny day when Kurt had simply been making lemonade in the small kitchen of his and Blaine's tiny, rented apartment, he got the surprise of a lifetime when suddenly a very excited Finn had burst through the door and enveloped him into a hug. He was followed by a woman that could be no one but his mother and as fate would have it, Burt had happened to be visiting his son and soon-to-be son in law.

Well... The story of them could be a story of its own.

The young couple was happy beyond belief and dared to dream of even bigger things. After graduating high school, Blaine decided to study to be a music teacher and by some miracle (that Sue Sylvester was quite possibly behind of) Kurt got a good job as an assistant of the editor-in-chief of the local newspaper. They didn't have the money to leave Ohio just yet but they'd get there, they were sure.

All over the country, the conditions of slaves were improving. Kurt Hummel might still officially be dead, they had figured that was the safest way to go, but his story had reached millions and the response had been immediate. However, something as huge as changing the laws concerning slaves was not something that just happened overnight. So yes, it took four years before the law _"An owner can release a slave at any time, without cost" _was made official.

It wasn't perfect. Slavery was still allowed. But more laws followed the big one, like one announcing that any sexual contact with a slave would never be allowed against the slave's will and the law that gave slaves the right to say no.

And then, on November 9th 2016, Kurt and Blaine got married.

It wasn't a big wedding by any means. The Warblers were there as well as Kurt's old Glee club, including Puck, Quinn and Mike, who didn't leave Tina's side for more than a few minutes at any given time. Maria took her job as the flower-girl very seriously and glared at anyone who dared to even cough during the ceremony.

Blaine finished college a couple of years later and soon they had packed up their stuff and headed for New York. Kurt's boss had given him the best of references and he had ended having next to no trouble landing a job that was beyond his wildest dreams: a photographer for Vogue.

Perhaps a year after settling in New York, Blaine brought up maybe, possibly, wanting to have kids. And to say Kurt had hesitated would be a major understatement.

The rules and laws about slave children and their families had been made more firm and specific and it was rumoured that even Sue Sylvester couldn't find a way around them anymore. And Kurt wasn't even a slave anymore, he was a free man and no one could come near his children. But it had still taken Blaine a long time to convince him.

But when Kurt had cried while signing the adoption papers of their son, the tears were nothing but happy.

"I can't believe this is my life," he whispered as they watched the small boy sleep in his crib, his tiny fist wrapped around Blaine's finger.

"Are you happy?"

"I'll never be unhappy again."

* * *

><p><em>The clock reached 12. Blaine raised his eyebrows and Kurt nodded. The two of them got up and started to make their way to the second floor.<em>

_They tip-toed their way to a door with a sign that said 'KNOCK BEFORE ENTERING!' and pushed it open, barely containing their giggles. They kneeled down on both sides of a bed placed in the center of the room and Kurt started to hum softly. Soon Blaine joined in and then they both burst into the chorus, waking up a young boy from his slumber:_

"_Pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel... That you're less than, less than perfect!" they sang together while their son rubbed his sleepy eyes with a wide smile on his face. _

"_You two are so weird!" he declared but he had laughter in his voice. _

"_Oh yeah? You know what you get for that comment?" Blaine asked. _

"_What?" _

"_A TICKLE HUG!" _

_The boy screamed as Blaine all but attacked him, tickling his tummy and feet. _

"_Noooo! Papa, stop! Stop! Daddyyyyy! Help!" _

_Kurt chuckled and allowed Blaine a couple of more seconds before telling him let the poor kid breathe. Blaine obeyed and sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling the boy into his lap. _

"_We love you, baby," Kurt said gently. _

"_I love you, too. And I love today! Oh boy, today will be fun! Today I'll... Daddy? Daddy, why are you crying?" _

_Kurt quickly wiped away the tear that had fallen on his cheek and smiled. "No reason. I'm just really, really happy." _

_This really was his life. He had a husband and a son who he woke up in the middle of the night so that they could sing for him. He had a job and a house and the family was considering getting a dog from the pound. He had everything he had never even dared to dream about and no one could come and take it away from him. _

_So his smile reached his eyes and made them sparkle when he said: "Happy 10th birthday, Toronto." _

**The end.**

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><p><strong>After 16 months, this story is finally complete. <strong>

**Oh my God...**

***collects herself***

**I have a new story in mind and the prologue for that should be up in a couple of weeks. So keep an eye out.**

**Alright, done advertising.**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE, YOU HAVE BEEN SIMPLY WONDERFUL! I hope the ending wasn't too sugary for you, I just really wanted them to have the ultimate happy ending. I know I didn't answer all the questions but this story was ultimately about Kurt and Blaine so... yeah. **

**Thank you again and I'll see you soon! **

**Love and butterfly kisses,**

**DoMF**


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